Lord Lennie
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the annual number of serious injuries and deaths on the roads.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) (Lab)
My Lords, the annual report on road casualties in 2024 was published on 25 September. Sadly, it detailed 1,602 fatalities and a total of 29,467 people killed or seriously injured. These are awful numbers, but, in the last decade, they have largely plateaued. We are committed to reducing them and making our roads safer than ever by publishing the first road safety strategy in over a decade.
Lord Lennie (Lab)
I thank my noble friend the Minister for that helpful Answer. This week sees the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. For me, this is a deeply personal issue. My brother Magnus died exactly a year ago today, having spent four months in Addenbrooke’s Hospital following a crash between a van and his motorbike. Bedfordshire Police attending the crash failed to collect evidence, failed to pursue the crash, failed to breathalyse the van driver involved in the crash and failed my brother’s immediate family in their ongoing search for the truth of the cause of this crash.
Magnus’s family are extremely grateful to Tim Blackwell, a trustee of DocBike, a growing national charity determined to reduce the number of accidents and victims of motorbike crashes, for supporting them in their fight for justice. Magnus became one of the 30,000 or so victims and the 1,800 or so deaths on the road last year that the Minister mentioned. If these numbers were victims of, say, knife crime, there would be a public outcry and appropriate action taken. So I ask the Minister what specific plans the Government have to significantly reduce these shocking figures?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I am sure the first thing to say is that your Lordships’ House will join me in offering our condolences to my noble friend on the loss of his brother. The road safety strategy will be comprehensive, covering all road users. Measures being considered include improving enforcement, the better use of vehicle data and modern technology, targeted measures for vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists, who are 1% of traffic but, sadly, 21% of fatalities and 20% of casualties, and changes to motoring offences.
Baroness Pidgeon (LD)
My Lords, clearly our thoughts are with the noble Lord, Lord Lennie, and his family, for the sad loss he outlined in his question. As we heard, over 1,600 people die and around 30,000 more are seriously injured on UK roads every year, but this is not inevitable and we should not accept it as inevitable. As the Government develop their new road safety strategy, will they be guided by the internationally recognised safe system principles, which are grounded in harm reduction?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The noble Baroness is right that that international system is a good guide. We recently discussed it in this House during the passage of what is now the Bus Services Act. I can confirm that the Government intend to use that guidance, because it is internationally recognised and successful.
Lord Moylan (Con)
My Lords, our condolences go to the noble Lord, Lord Lennie. In fact, as the Minister said, motorcycle users made up over 20% of all road deaths in 2024, and many of these take place on rural roads and away from junctions. Have the Government considered reducing fatal outcomes among motorcycle accidents by mandating emergency notification technology for motorcycles, similar to the automatic eCall system now mandatory in cars, and will that form part of the road safety strategy?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The Government will look at the use of all modern technology. There has not been a recent road safety strategy and, as the noble Lord sets out, technology has moved on a long way. So we will look at that, because, when an accident occurs, getting help to victims of the accident as soon as possible is obviously life-saving.
Lord Wigley (PC)
I think we are distinguishable.
Is the Minister aware of the figures in Wales for the reduction in road accidents and road deaths following the reduction of the speed limit to 20 miles per hour? Although that has been controversial in some areas and needs to be adjusted, none the less, if people’s lives—children’s lives—can be saved by such a change, surely that can be studied more broadly, and should not the insurance companies be reducing the premium that road drivers pay for their insurance cover in circumstances where the number of accidents is reducing?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The noble Lord makes a good point. I saw recently some very revealing figures on the reduction of accidents in Wales as a consequence of the imposition of the 20 miles per hour speed limit, although there are other views about its blanket introduction; the Government’s view is that introducing lower speed limits where it is appropriate produces the best result. I do not know about the insurance companies in terms of imposing speed limits, but we know that insurance companies should take note of better drivers and, increasingly, technology enables those companies to know where, when and how people are driving.
Lord Pickles (Con)
My Lords, I also express my condolences to the noble Lord.
The Minister will be aware that yesterday in Australia it was announced for the first time that the number of road deaths caused by taking drugs exceeded the number of deaths caused by drink-driving. Given that, since 2013, the number of deaths caused by taking illegal drugs has increased by 70%, it is a matter of time before we get to that position. Will the noble Lord commit to the same kind of campaign that was waged over a generation to reduce deaths by drinking, by ensuring that people who take drugs have a certainty of being caught?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I was not aware of the recent Australian statistic, but frankly the noble Lord makes a good point and I am not surprised. To address this increase in drug-driving casualties over the last decade, which is manifesting itself increasingly every year, the Government intend to use the THINK! campaign and is finalising a new drug-driving campaign to launch later this year.
Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for the Question. The Minister was very sympathetic to my question about reducing the drink-drive limit last time. He did not go further than being sympathetic, but can he respond to the amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by the noble Earl, Lord Atlee, about random breath tests? Also, what is his reaction to the idea of “alcolocks”, because the majority of people found drinking and driving are repeat offenders?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I am grateful to my noble friend, who did indeed ask that question about drink-driving. We will consider these matters further. My noble friend dealing with the Crime and Policing Bill has a number of amendments to deal with. I am sure that we will deal with them then.
Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)
Can anything be done about cycling on pavements?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
Yes. It is a really bad thing to do. I will write to the noble and learned Baroness rather than riffle through these papers. Increasing the ability of local authorities to deal with what look like minor transgressions of behaviour but actually badly affect vulnerable people and their confidence and ability to move around. This Government are committed to doing something about it. I will write to her.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)
My Lords, I was not entirely comforted by the Minister’s answer on “alcolocks”. An alcolock is a breathalyser device that is linked to the ignition of a car, which means that somebody who has been drinking cannot start their car. This would massively reduce drink-drive casualties. Can he be a bit firmer on it?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I can certainly be a bit clearer about it, because there are public service vehicles that are fitted with the same technology, for some very obvious reasons. It is right to consider all these measures in the round. That is why we are revising the road safety strategy.
Baroness Seccombe (Con)
My Lords, does the Minister understand the agony and trauma of losing a much-loved child? A teenage driver, having passed his driving test six weeks earlier, killed his three passengers on the way home from school. If the Minister does understand, what is he going to do about these teenage drivers?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I very much understand the tragedy that the noble Baroness describes, and indeed my ministerial colleagues have met some of the families of victims and of young drivers who have killed their friends and family. It is deeply distressing. The Government are committed to doing something about this. The current THINK! campaign is entirely addressed at young drivers, for this very obvious reason. People are very vulnerable when they start driving and do not have the experience. The Government recognise this and will consider it further in the road safety strategy review that I mentioned.