Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to recognise EU driving licences in the UK after Brexit; and whether they plan to seek recognition of UK driving licences by the EU.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
EU licences will continue to be recognised in the UK during the transition period, and vice versa. This means that motorists visiting the UK or the EU will not require an International Driving Permit, and vice versa.
Arrangements after the transition period will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the EU. The UK Government will work with its European partners to minimise any extra burden on motorists after the transition period, as this is advantageous for both the UK and the EU. 24 of the 27 EU Member States have already stated that they will continue to recognise UK photocard licences in all circumstances.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide on the dangers of wearing a seatbelt incorrectly.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government recognises the importance of seat belts in promoting road safety; quite simply they save lives. That is why the law requires vehicle occupants, with very few exceptions, to wear them. Advice on www.gov.uk and in The Highway Code in respect of seat belts focusses on the importance of wearing a seat belt.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) males, and (2) females, aged (a) 16–23, (b) 24–29, (c) 30–34, and (d) 34 and over, were (i) prosecuted for, and (ii) convicted of, wearing a seat belt incorrectly in each of the last two years for which information is available.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Ministry of Justice has published information on the number of males and females prosecuted and convicted for broader ‘seat belt offences’ by age group:
Prosecutions and Convictions for seat belt offences, by sex (where sex was known) and age group, England and Wales, year ending December 2014 to year ending December 2018
Prosecutions | |||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Males | 7,158 | 6,884 | 6,605 | 5,288 | 5,639 |
Juveniles | 30 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Young adults | 290 | 248 | 230 | 174 | 185 |
Adults | 6,838 | 6,616 | 6,365 | 5,106 | 5,447 |
Females | 944 | 869 | 722 | 546 | 652 |
Juveniles | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Young adults | 52 | 29 | 31 | 20 | 23 |
Adults | 884 | 839 | 688 | 524 | 627 |
Total | 8,102 | 7,753 | 7,327 | 5,834 | 6,291 |
Convictions | |||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
Males | 6,554 | 6,351 | 6,205 | 5,018 | 5,299 |
Juveniles | 22 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
Young adults | 270 | 228 | 219 | 165 | 177 |
Adults | 6,262 | 6,111 | 5,980 | 4,848 | 5,117 |
Females | 865 | 791 | 664 | 507 | 594 |
Juveniles | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Young adults | 48 | 25 | 30 | 19 | 19 |
Adults | 812 | 765 | 633 | 486 | 575 |
Total | 7,419 | 7,142 | 6,869 | 5,525 | 5,893 |
Adults are those offenders aged 21 and over, whilst juveniles are aged under 18 and young adults are aged 18-20.
‘Seat belt offences’ cover a range of different offences, but a large proportion would be for not wearing a seat belt. The Ministry of Justice does not have a classification for specific offences involving ‘wearing a seatbelt incorrectly‘; this may fall under the broader offence of seat belt offences, but to identify these specific offences would require a manual search of court records, which would be of disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) males, and (2) females, aged (a) 16–23, (b) 24–29, (c) 30–34, and (d) 34 and over, were (i) killed, (ii) seriously injured, and (iii) received minor injuries, as a result of wearing a seat belt incorrectly in each of the last two years for which information is available.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department does not hold information on whether casualties in reported road accidents were wearing a seat belt incorrectly.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on advertising the dangers of wearing a seat belt incorrectly in each of the last two years for which information is available.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government recognises the importance of seat belts in promoting road safety; quite simply they save lives. That is why the law requires vehicle occupants, with very few exceptions, to wear them. Advice on www.gov.uk and in The Highway Code in respect of seat belts focusses on the importance of wearing a seat belt.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they hold on the types of injuries associated with wearing a seat belt incorrectly.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Department does not hold information on whether casualties in reported road accidents were wearing a seat belt incorrectly.
Asked by: Baroness Masham of Ilton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether wearing a seat belt incorrectly is as dangerous as not wearing a seat belt at all; and if so, whether they will include this information in future advertising on the wearing of seat belts.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government recognises the importance of seat belts in promoting road safety; quite simply they save lives. That is why the law requires vehicle occupants, with very few exceptions, to wear them. Advice on www.gov.uk and in The Highway Code in respect of seat belts focusses on the importance of wearing a seat belt.