PACTS Comments on Parliamentary Questions: 6 – 9 December

10 Dec 2010 | Parliament, Parliamentary Questions

Accident Investigation

We have however, carried out an assessment of potential productivity improvements in the AIBs which could be made without impacting their statutory functions. Our assessment shows that cost reductions can be made by focusing their activities more closely on their core safety role and through rationalising support functions and other efficiency improvements. This will include sharing facilities and equipment across the three AIB’s wherever this is practical.

PACTS comments: Like every other public body, the Accident Investigation Branches (AIBs) are subject to budget cuts. While Mr Hammond does not lay any figures on the table, he does talk about cost reductions. It will not be surprising that PACTS, who endorse evidence based research and evidence led policy, fully support the AIBs. The UK’s Air Accident Investigation Branch has operated since the First World War, and leads the UK AIBs in their internationally renowned reputation. Therefore any cost reductions should be taken with the greatest care possible, so that they are purely administrative and do not have any impact on the quality of accident investigations. It would be a huge loss if the UK were to compromise its international reputation for transport safety. 

Roads: Accidents

Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress the Government are making on developing road safety measures to reduce the frequency of minor accidents. [26502]

Mike Penning: Existing policies and trends have already delivered the safest roads in the world, with significant falls in all casualties, as well as deaths and the most serious injuries. The Department for Transport is making progress on initiatives to continue to reduce the frequency of both major and minor accidents, including work on a new strategic framework for road safety and related measures.

Most recently we have produced the “Safe Place to Cross” toolkit aimed at six to eleven-year-olds and the innovative partnership between the THINK! team and four major football clubs.

We have also announced in September the Local Sustainable Transport Fund that will challenge local transport authorities outside London to develop packages of measures that support economic growth and reduce carbon in their communities as well as delivering cleaner environments, improved safety and increased levels of physical activity.

PACTS comments: In this question the term ‘minor accidents’ is used. The two definitions for accidents defined by the Department for Transport (DfT) are ‘serious’ and ‘slight’. Serious injuries involve a person being detained in hospital as an ‘in patient’, or  injuries including fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushings, burns, severe cuts and severe general shock. Slight injuries involve a sprain, bruise, cut or slight shock which is given roadside attention. The figures reported for serious and slight injuries are known to be unreliable, with police and hospital figures showing disparities, due to under reporting and under diagnosing. This could be improved by a number of methods, one of which is to provide police with better tools with which to record accident data. Pilots of a new electronic system run by DfT are to be run in early 2011, where police officers will be given mobile devices for data collection at accident scenes. 

Speed Limits: Rural Areas

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department plans to take steps to(a) amend the way in which speed limits for rural roads are set and (b) ensure that the mean speed for vehicles using rural roads is not taken into account in setting appropriate speed limits for those roads. [26658]

Mike Penning: The Department for Transport has no plans to change the way in which speed limits for rural roads are set. Nor are there plans to move away from using mean speeds as the method of indicating an appropriate speed limit.

Local authorities are responsible for setting local speed limits. The Department provides them with guidance, “DfT Circular 01/2006-Setting Local Speed Limits”, which ensures speed limits are appropriately and consistently set. The guidance recommends local authorities use mean speeds to determine the appropriate speed limit.

PACTS comments: Setting speed limits for rural roads is difficult. Due to the nature of rural roads, most accidents which occur on them involve vehicles who were driving within the speed limit. Therefore the important question is appropriate speed for the road conditions, rather than a speed limit. As Mr Penning states, the current guidelines advise local authorities to use mean speeds when setting speed limits, and this is an approach that PACTS supports. 

Other written answers:

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Local Government

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities have been (a) banned and (b)suspended from accessing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [23823]

Mike Penning [holding answer 12 November 2010]: No local authority has been banned from accessing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s vehicle database within the last 12 months. The following authorities have been temporarily suspended during the last 12 months from requesting information from the database until they could demonstrate full compliance with the strict terms and conditions for access to data.

Ashfield District Council

Aylesbury Vale District Council

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Bedford Borough Council

Birmingham City Council

Blackpool Borough Council

Blaenau Gwent Borough Council

Bournemouth Borough Council

Bracknell Forest Council

Breckland Council

Bristol City Council

Broadlands District Council

Bromley L B

Buckingham County Council

Burnley Borough Council

Cambridge City Council

Cannock Chase Council

Carlisle City Council

Carmarthen Council

Carmarthenshire County Council

Central Bedfordshire Council

Chiltern District Council

Chorley Borough Council

City of York

Cornwall Council

Croydon Council

Cumbria County Council

Dacorum Borough Council

Dudley Council

Durham County Council

Ealing Council

East Dorset District Council

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Erewash Borough Council

Fenland District Council

Forest Heath District Council

Gloucester City Council

Guildford Borough Council

Hampshire Council (East)

Hampshire County Council

Hartlepool

Hastings Council

Hereford Council

Ipswich Borough Council

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Kent County Council

Kirklees District Council

Leicester City Council

Lewes Council

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

London Borough Epping Forrest

London Borough Newham

Manchester City Council

Mendip District Council

Middlesbrough

Milton Keynes Council

N E Lincolnshire

New Forest District Council

Newcastle upon Tyne

North Kesteven District Council

Northumberland

Oldham Council

Pendle Borough Council

Poole Council

Portsmouth City Council

Ribble Borough Council (South)

Ribble Valley Borough Council

Richmond on Thames

Salford County Council

Selby District Council

Shropshire Council

Somerset County Council

South Cambridgeshire Council

South Lakeland

Southampton Council

Southend on Sea Borough Council

St Albans City and District Council

St Helens Council

Stockton on Tees

Stroud District Council

Surrey Heath Borough Council

Three Rivers District Council

Warrington Borough Council

Warwick District Council

Watford Borough Council

Wigan MBC

Wiltshire Council

Worcester County Council

Wychavon District Council

Wycombe District Council

Driving Tests

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of time learner drivers have to wait to take a driving test. [26791]

Mike Penning: Waiting times across the country are currently higher than expected. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has a shortfall in the number of driving examiners required to deliver the demand for practical driving tests and this is being addressed through a programme of recruitment.

6 Dec 2010 : Column 66W

In addition, to help mitigate the impact of the current examiner shortfall, DSA has undertaken a number of actions to increase the number of tests it can deliver. These include:

(1) Offering out-of-hours tests (early mornings, evenings and weekends) at most locations;

(2) Having examiner managers do an increased amount of testing.

Driving: Eyesight

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to raise awareness among drivers (a)of the risks inherent in driving with poor vision and (b) that driving with vision below the required standard is an offence; and if he will make a statement. [26773]

Mike Penning: The Department for Transport takes appropriate opportunities to raise awareness of the risks inherent in driving with poor vision.

Driving licence application forms and associated leaflets remind drivers about the ongoing requirement to be able to meet the eyesight standard. Specific information is available on the DirectGov website. Advertisements also appear on the motoring pages reminding drivers that driving while unable to meet the appropriate eyesight standard is an offence. This advice is also included in the Highway Code that provides essential advice for all drivers. The driving test also requires candidates to demonstrate their ability to meet the required eyesight standard.