Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of potential mandatory training for those local authorities which, according to local road maintenance transparency reports, are not carrying out any preventative road maintenance.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
To qualify for their full share of this year’s £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, including in relation to preventative maintenance which is more cost effective than the reactive patching of potholes. The findings from the transparency reports enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authorities to prioritise preventative road maintenance treatments over short-term pothole repairs.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes. To qualify for their full share of this year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice including in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to undertake research on headlight glare, in response to the parliamentary petition on headlight dazzle.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Yes. The government is in the process of commissioning independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare and help identify potential countermeasures.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Euro NCAP about the criteria by which certificates are issued.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Euro NCAP does not issue certificates but provides motorists with objective information on the crash safety and driver assistance systems fitted to passenger cars. The 1-5 star rating system helps consumers compare the safety potential of different models, helping to include safety in their purchasing decision.
The testing protocols are reviewed periodically to reflect evolving technologies. As a member of Euro NCAP, the Department for Transport has a place on the Board of Directors, which meets three times per year and has a role in agreeing the strategic direction of the organisation and approving new protocols.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of cars that have been sold in the past five years are fitted with headlights which, once dipped, cause dazzle to oncoming traffic; and what discussions they have had with Euro NCAP on that matter.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Prior to sale and registration all vehicle manufacturers must demonstrate that the mandatory dipped beam headlamps satisfy detailed technical requirements controlling aim and light emitted to minimise the occurrence of glare to oncoming traffic. In addition, the Government recently committed to carrying out independent research to assess the prevalence of headlamp glare and to identify root causes and potential countermeasures. EURO NCAP does not assess vehicle lighting and no associated discussions have taken place.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will support any proposal at UNECE’s Working Party 29 in June to re-establish the Informal Working Group on (vehicle headlight) glare.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The UK will consider any proposals at UNECE Working Party 29 on their merits based on a range of factors, including the availability and assessment of new independent evidence or justification. The UK government has committed to research headlamp glare to identify root causes and potential countermeasures, which may in due course support the establishment of a UNECE Informal Working Group to develop, amend and implement changes to the appropriate international regulations.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations cover the retrofitting of headlights to vehicles; and when those regulations were last updated.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended govern the in-use fitment and maintenance of vehicle headlamps and were last updated in 2019. To minimise the risk of glare these regulations require that approved vehicle lamps are fitted only with approved light sources, including LEDs.
International activity is ongoing at the United Nations and proposals to amend headlamp aiming criteria are expected to be agreed in April, together with requirements for mandatory automatic headlamp levelling.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations apply to retrofitting car headlights with LED bulbs.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended govern the in-use fitment and maintenance of vehicle headlamps and were last updated in 2019. To minimise the risk of glare these regulations require that approved vehicle lamps are fitted only with approved light sources, including LEDs.
International activity is ongoing at the United Nations and proposals to amend headlamp aiming criteria are expected to be agreed in April, together with requirements for mandatory automatic headlamp levelling.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with international partners to develop and introduce improved headlamp aiming requirements.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended govern the in-use fitment and maintenance of vehicle headlamps and were last updated in 2019. To minimise the risk of glare these regulations require that approved vehicle lamps are fitted only with approved light sources, including LEDs.
International activity is ongoing at the United Nations and proposals to amend headlamp aiming criteria are expected to be agreed in April, together with requirements for mandatory automatic headlamp levelling.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many drivers have reported problems with their eyesight to the DVLA in the last 10 years; and what proportion of those have had their driving licences withdrawn as a result.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
During the period 1 March 2013 and 28 February 2023, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency recorded 623,078 drivers as having an eyesight condition. During this period, 19,766 drivers recorded as having an eyesight condition had their driving licence revoked, or their licence application refused. However, it is not possible to say if all of these revocations/refusals were due to eyesight or another medical condition.