‘Hit and Run’ Incidents
Q Asked by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb : 13 March 2017
Roads: Accidents HL6014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people were killed or injured in road traffic accidents where the driver failed to stop at the scene of the accident in (1) 2015, and (2) 2016; and how many such offenders were convicted in each of those two years for causing death or injury by a motor vehicle.
A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The table below provides information on people who were killed or injured in road traffic accidents where the driver failed to stop at the scene of the accident.
Casualties involved in accidents where at least one driver failed to stop at the scene, Great Britain, 2014 and 2015
Year | Severity of casualty | |||||
Killed | Serious | Slight | Total | |||
2014 | 69 | 1,592 | 17,688 | 19,349 | ||
2015 | 81 | 1,638 | 18,239 | 19,958 | ||
Figures for 2016 will be available from June 2017.
The Department for Transport does not hold information about motoring offences or prosecutions. Prosecution information is held by the Ministry of Justice. It is not however possible to link reported road accident data to prosecution data.
Bus Safety
Q Asked by Mrs Louise Ellman : 15 March 2017
Buses: Accidents 68177
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents have taken place involving public service vehicles manufactured before 2011 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
The following table shows a) the number of accidents and b) the number of killed or seriously injured casualties resulting from reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one bus or coach manufactured before 2011.
a) Accidents involving at least one bus/coach manufactured before 2011 | b) Killed or seriously injured casualties involving at least one bus/coach manufactured before 2011 | |
2011 | 5,594 | 745 |
2012 | 4,457 | 646 |
2013 | 3,733 | 568 |
2014 | 3,442 | 492 |
2015 | 2,702 | 427 |
These statistics only include vehicles for which the police provided a registration mark and which matched the DVLA database to enable the age of the bus/coach to be ascertained. Around 19% of the buses and coaches reported personal-injury road traffic accidents did not have a valid registration mark recorded on the form for various reasons, such as it simply not being noted down or figures being transposed, and so are excluded from this analysis. The police records cannot distinguish public service vehicles from other buses and coaches, so the figures provided are for all buses and coaches irrespective of the ownership or use of the vehicle.
Grouped Questions: 68183
Q Asked by Mrs Louise Ellman : 15 March 2017
Buses: Accidents 68183
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have been killed or seriously injured in accidents involving public service vehicles manufactured before 2011 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
The following table shows a) the number of accidents and b) the number of killed or seriously injured casualties resulting from reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one bus or coach manufactured before 2011.
a) Accidents involving at least one bus/coach manufactured before 2011 | b) Killed or seriously injured casualties involving at least one bus/coach manufactured before 2011 | |
2011 | 5,594 | 745 |
2012 | 4,457 | 646 |
2013 | 3,733 | 568 |
2014 | 3,442 | 492 |
2015 | 2,702 | 427 |
These statistics only include vehicles for which the police provided a registration mark and which matched the DVLA database to enable the age of the bus/coach to be ascertained. Around 19% of the buses and coaches reported personal-injury road traffic accidents did not have a valid registration mark recorded on the form for various reasons, such as it simply not being noted down or figures being transposed, and so are excluded from this analysis. The police records cannot distinguish public service vehicles from other buses and coaches, so the figures provided are for all buses and coaches irrespective of the ownership or use of the vehicle.
Grouped Questions: 68177
Cycling Safety
Q Asked by Dr Rosena Allin-Khan : 13 March 2017
Cycling: Safety 67578
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the Dutch Reach method of opening car doors on the safety of cyclists.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
The Department is aware of the Dutch Reach method of opening car doors. Leaving a vehicle and checking for oncoming cyclists, pedestrians and other traffic before opening the door is however already part of the DVSA’s National Standards for driving. We therefore have no plans to mandate which arm a driver uses to open the door.
European Aviation Safety Agency
Q Asked by Iain Stewart : 08 March 2017
European Aviation Safety Agency 67008
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits of the UK remaining a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency after the UK has left the EU.
A Answered by: Mr John Hayes
The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications for the continued participation in the European Aviation Safety Agency system.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Q Asked by Lord Harris of Haringey : 05 April 2017
Unmanned Air Vehicles HL6676
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints about UAVs have been recorded by (1) the police, and (2) the aviation authorities, in each of the last three years.
A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The number of complaints about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is not collated across police forces.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does not maintain a record of all complaints of drone misuse it has received, as in some cases, such as where advice was provided by telephone or where the complainant was referred to the police, records are not kept. Nevertheless, 213 complaints were recorded in 2014, 441 in 2015 and 291 in 2016. The Military Aviation Authority does not hold records of any complaints about UAVs.
The Department for Transport, the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs Council and the CAA signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 17 May 2016 to identify the roles and responsibilities of the signatories with respect to the investigation and prosecution of drone offences. Under the Memorandum, it is for the Police Service to carry out an assessment of reports of drone misuse and to decide whether or not to investigate; it is for the CAA to investigate and prosecute breach of aerial work permissions or offences relating to aviation safety.
Q Asked by Lord Harris of Haringey : 05 April 2017
Unmanned Air Vehicles HL6677
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish proposals to regulate and control the use of UAVs, following the recent consultation by the Department for Transport.
A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government’s consultation on the safe use of drones in the UK closed on 15th March. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in the summer of this year.
Q Asked by Richard Burden : 10 March 2017
Unmanned Air Vehicles 67390
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with drone manufacturers on the use of mapping services for geo-fencing.
A Answered by: Mr John Hayes
Geo-fencing capabilities require accurate and up-to-date mapping information including details of restricted airspace. The Department for Transport is in discussion with manufacturers, other Government departments and subject matter experts to develop processes to ensure this information can be provided in an appropriate and assured way.
Many of the leading drone manufacturers already include forms of geo-fencing capability on their drones. However, as geo-fencing is not infallible, the Department for Transport is also in discussions with manufacturers to explore how it and other technical safety measures might be improved.
The Government has just closed a consultation on the future safe use of drones in the UK, which included a proposal to require geo-fencing to be installed on all commercially sold drones. The Department will produce its conclusions from the consultation in the summer of this year.
Q Asked by Lord Blencathra: 08 March 2017
Unmanned Air Vehicles HL5925
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to require geo-fencing to be installed on all drones for commercial sale.
A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government’s consultation on the future safe use of drones in the UK closed on 15 March 2017. It included a proposal to require geo-fencing to be installed on all commercially sold drones. The Department intends to publish its conclusions from the consultation in the summer of this year, when we have fully analysed the evidence presented.
Many of the leading drone manufacturers already include forms of geo-fencing capability on their drones. However, as geo-fencing is not infallible, the Department is in discussions with manufacturers to explore how it and other technical safety measures might be improved.
The Government is also considering a number of other measures to promote the safe use of drones, such as improving information provision and increasing the penalties for breaking the law.
Smartphone Mapping Apps
Q Asked by Lord Freyberg : 05 April 2017
Road Traffic HL6695
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether smartphone mapping apps are contributing to the rise of levels of pollution and traffic in residential areas; and if so, what action they plan to take.
A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government has not carried out an assessment of whether or not there is an impact from smartphones mapping apps on pollution and traffic in residential areas.
Driverless Vehicles
Q Asked by Baroness Randerson : 30 March 2017
Driverless Vehicles HL6477
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Amsterdam Declaration 2016, what international role they intend to take in setting and developing agreed communications standards for connected vehicles; and how they intend to do this once the UK has left the EU.
A Answered by: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Department for Transport and its partners (Highways England, Kent County Council and TfL) are developing the A2/M2 Connected Vehicle Corridor between London and Dover. This is the national pilot and forms part of a network of European connected vehicle corridors (“Intercor”) to deliver interoperable standards.
The Department will continue to review the development of communication standards for connected vehicles, as they develop over time, to ensure that these standards meet the UK’s best interests and deliver interoperability.
Highway Code: Turning at Junctions
Q Asked by Mr Roger Godsiff : 28 March 2017
Highway Code 69534
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of introducing within the Highway Code a universal duty to give way when turning at junctions.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
We have not yet made any assessment of the merits of this change but are consulting with relevant colleagues and stakeholders, particularly those involved with pedestrian safety and disability groups, about the impacts of such a change. We would need to be convinced that safety and accessibility would be maintained or enhanced if a universal duty to give way when turning at junctions were introduced.
Driving Under Influence: Convictions
Q Asked by Wayne David : 27 March 2017
Driving under Influence: Convictions 69185
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has conducted an assessment of the (a) reasons for the change in the number of drink-driving convictions between 2004 and 2014 and (b) the implications of that change for the Government’s policy on drink-driving.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
We have made no assessment of changes in drink-driving convictions; however, drink drive casualties went down in the period 2004 to 2014 and drink drive fatalities are at their lowest ever level; the proportion of people who tested positively for alcohol following a reported road traffic accident has fallen from 4% in 2004 to 3% in 2014; and the overall proportion of drivers who tested positively on a roadside screening test fell from 18% in 2004 to 11% in 2014. We continue to promote our THINK! Campaign and we have no plans for lowering the drink drive limit.
DVLA and eyesight reporting
Q Asked by Mr Mark Hendrick : 23 March 2017
Driving: Eyesight 68915
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will direct the DVLA to ensure that opticians are required to report drivers whose eye test has revealed that their eyesight, even with glasses or lenses, is below the standards needed to drive safely.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
All drivers have an ongoing legal responsibility to ensure that they meet the vision standards for driving, wearing glasses or corrective lenses if needed. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) makes the eyesight standards for driving clear in leaflets, forms and on GOV.UK.
Opticians and optometrists already have a duty of care to their patients and the general public. On this basis they can already inform the DVLA of instances where they consider a patient to be unfit to drive. This is supported by guidance issued by the Royal College of Optometrists.
The DVLA’s “Assessing Fitness to Drive: A Guide for Medical Professionals” clarifies medical professionals’ obligations to notify a condition to the DVLA if their patient is unwilling or unable to report it themselves.
There are no plans to introduce a legal requirement for opticians to inform the DVLA if a driver is unable to meet the required eyesight standards for driving.
Speed cameras
Q Asked by Jim Shannon: 07 March 2017
Speed Limits: Cameras 66800
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to stop drivers using laser jammers to confuse or prevent speed cameras working properly.
A Answered by: Andrew Jones
Motorists using jammers against police speed enforcement equipment already run the risk of being charged with perverting the course of justice, and there have been successful prosecutions.