Tuesday 5 January 2010
Dangerous Driving
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Leeds and (c) Leeds North West constituency in each of the last five years. [307766]
Claire Ward: Information on the number of persons found guilty at all courts in the West Yorkshire police force area for causing death by dangerous driving, from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is given in the following table.
Court proceedings data are not available at city or parliamentary constituency level.
Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
The number of persons found guilty at all courts in the West Yorkshire police force area for causing death by dangerous driving( 1) , 2003 to 2007( 2, 3)
2003 13
2004 12
2005 18
2006 13
2007 9
(1) Road Traffic Act 1988, section 1.
(2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
Source:
Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice
Invalid Vehicles: Driving Offences
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a new offence of riding a mobility scooter in a dangerous way. [308941]
Mr. Khan: We have no plans to introduce a new offence of riding a mobility scooter in a dangerous way.
An offence under paragraph 35 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861-“Drivers of carriages injuring persons by furious driving”-already exists in law.
We are aware that the use of powered mobility vehicles is growing. In view of this we are now expecting to consult on issues such as compulsory insurance and training, a more comprehensive registration scheme and on the design and safety standards of mobility vehicles. Our aim will continue to be to balance the mobility needs of scooter users with the safety needs of pedestrians and other road users.
National Cycle Plan
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he plans to publish the National Cycle Plan; and if he will make a statement. [307993]
Mr. Khan: We will publish with Department of Health a joint Active Travel Strategy and National Cycle Plan in the new year.
Roads: Accidents
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on amending the civil law on accident liability by any driver of a moving motorised vehicle in collision with a cyclist; and if he will make a statement. [307992]
Paul Clark: No recent representations have been received suggesting reform of the civil law on accident liability on this issue.
Seat Belts
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to publicise the dangers to motorists of slipping a seat belt shoulder strap under their arm whilst driving; and if he will make a statement. [308228]
Paul Clark: The Department’s leaflet ‘Seat Belts and Child Restraints’ explains that the diagonal strap should lie across the chest and away from the neck. The leaflet is available online at:
www.dft.gov.uk/think
There are no plans for further specific publicity to tell motorists how to use seat belts, although the Department will continue to emphasise the importance of wearing them in its safety campaigns and information.
Driving Under Influence
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were stopped and tested for drink driving (a) in West Yorkshire, (b) in each police authority area and (c) in total in each of the last five years. [306944]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
Figures on West Yorkshire and the total in each of the last five years can be found highlighted in the table.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100105/text/100105w0036.htm#1001062000019
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Driving: Young People
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent educational programmes his Department has developed which are directed at young drivers; what steps his Department is taking to encourage the wearing of seat belts by young persons; and if he will make a statement. [308227]
Paul Clark: The THINK! road safety campaigns target all drivers including young drivers on topics such as driving under the influence of alcohol, drug driving, speeding, motorcycle awareness, seat belt wearing and mobile phone use.
A new seat belt campaign was launched in November 2008, designed to warn drivers and their passengers that without a seat belt they can be killed even at low speeds on short local journeys.
This followed research showing that people are least likely to wear a seat belt in these situations as they believe that they can either brace themselves or be saved by an airbag. The campaign ran on TV, radio, posters, petrol pumps, car park barriers and Youtube. It will be repeated between 1 and 28 February 2010 in the same media excluding Youtube.
Roads: Accidents
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) how many (a) road traffic accidents, (b) road traffic fatalities, (c) accidents involving motorcyclists, (d) fatalities involving motorcyclists, (e) accidents involving cyclists and (f) fatalities involving cyclists there were in (i) East Sussex and (ii) Lewes constituency in each of the last five years; [308464]
(2) how many road traffic accidents in (a) East Sussex and (b) Lewes constituency involved motorbikes in each of the last five years; and how many of them resulted in loss of life in each of those five years; [308465]
(3) how many road traffic accidents which occurred in (a) East Sussex and (b) Lewes constituency involved loss of life in each of the last five years. [308466]
Paul Clark: The information requested is given in the tables.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100106/text/100106w0003.htm
Driving Offences: Sentencing
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for (a) offences of drink driving and (b) each other motoring offence resulted in a custodial sentence in (i) Lewes constituency, (ii) Sussex and (iii) England in each of the last 10 years. [308564]
Claire Ward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 2 December 2009, Official Report, column 790W.
Thursday 7 January 2010
Cycling
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) children and (ii) adults in (A) Stroud district, (B) Gloucestershire and (C) England who cycle regularly. [309140]
Mr. Khan: Estimates from the National Travel Survey suggest that, across England as a whole, 31 per cent. of children and 10 per cent. of adults regularly cycled (i.e. at least one bicycle trip per week) between 2006 and 2008.
Equivalent statistics for Gloucestershire and the Stroud district are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, for urban areas with resident populations of between 25,000 and 50,000 (such as the town of Stroud), the equivalent estimates were 30 per cent. for children and 10 per cent. for adults.
Driving Under Influence: Drugs
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of effectiveness of the recent advertisements on the dangers of drug driving. [309537]
Paul Clark: The Department for Transport usually assesses the effectiveness of its advertising in three ways:
The effect on individuals’ awareness, motivation and claimed behaviours, which we measure through quantitative and qualitative research.
Progress against indicators such as in the case of our THINK! road safety campaign, the number of people killed or seriously injured.
How effectively it buys media space. Analysis by independent media auditors benchmarks the Government’s performance against private sector advertisers. Collectively, the Government are an efficient purchaser of media.
The THINK! Drug Drive advertising campaign ran from 17 August to 13 September 2009. The Department has not yet received or assessed all of the data listed above. However, research, including pre-campaign and post-campaign tracking surveys and website statistics, provides early indicators that the campaign has performed well against its core objectives including raising awareness of the risks of drug-driving.
Driving Offences: Disqualification
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with the Magistrates’ Association on sentencing policy for people convicted of driving whilst disqualified. [308213]
Claire Ward: The Chairman of the Road Traffic Committee of the Magistrates’ Association corresponded in 2009 with Ministers on the subject of sentencing for the offence of driving while disqualified.
Driving
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who drive (a) a vehicle for which his Department is responsible have valid driving licences and (b) their own vehicles in the course of their official duties have valid driving licences and insurance; what guidance is issued to those staff in respect of road safety while carrying out official duties; what steps are taken to monitor compliance with that guidance; what requirements there are on such staff to report to their line managers accidents in which they are involved while driving in the course of their official duties; and whether such reports are investigated. [302171]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has travel policy in place for staff which is accessible via the Department’s intranet. This guidance states clear roles and responsibilities for managers and staff. The responses to the questions raised are:
ix(a) Mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff hold valid driving licences for any vehicles the Department is responsible for. (The Department does not own any vehicles.)
(b) Mechanisms are in place to ensure that staff who use their own vehicles for official business must have valid driving licences and insurance. Before using their own vehicles for official travel, staff must complete an application form which, together with copies of their Motor Vehicle Insurance Certificate, MOT certificate (if appropriate) and a business case signed by at least a Deputy Director, is sent to the Professional Services and Commodities Category Unit for approval.
(c) Road safety guidance for staff. The Department has produced a “Safe Driving Policy” booklet (available via the intranet) which provides road safety guidance. It is expected that compliance to the departmental guidelines are observed by staff.
(d) Steps to monitor compliance to the guidance. Staff have the responsibility to ensure compliance with the guidance.
(e) Requirements to report accidents. All accidents associated with hire companies are brought to the attention of the Professional Services and Commodities Category Unit for investigation.
(f) Accident reports are investigated. All notified motor vehicle accidents are thoroughly investigated.
