Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents in England resulting in serious head injuries involved (a) cyclists and (b) cyclists under 16 in each of the last three years.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The number of reported personal injury road accidents in England involving (a) at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist and (b) at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist aged under 16 for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 is given in the tables below.
Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist: England, 2011-2013
2011 | 2,814 |
2012 | 2,960 |
2013 | 2,884 |
Reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one seriously injured pedal cyclist aged under 16: England, 2011-2013
2011 | 349 |
2012 | 275 |
2013 | 248 |
Information on the pedal cyclists who suffered serious head injuries as a result of an accident is not available from the STATS19 data that the department collects.
However, information on the medical consequences of pedal cycle casualties in road accidents in England can be obtained from hospital inpatient data. The most recent analysis for 2001-2010 suggests that 40 per cent of pedal cycle admissions were the result of head injuries.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2014, Official Report, column 295W, on cycling: children, what criteria his Department uses to measure whether a mode of transport is safe and secure.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Anyone killed or seriously injured on our roads is one too many. The Department collects and publishes statistics annually (and sub-annually) and uses those to monitor road safety. Where there is an existing or emerging road safety challenge, the Department works hard to ensure the right policy solutions are in place to minimise those road safety risks.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to prevent the postage by retailers of Second World War gas masks containing asbestos.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Royal Mail is responsible for the acceptance or otherwise of items to be carried by post and they have set out what they will accept, or not, in their publically available guide “Prohibitions and restrictions in the domestic and international post” published in July 2013. These rules ensure that specified low risk items can be transported safely through the UK postal network.
It clearly states that under certain conditions it is acceptable for samples of asbestos to be carried to UK destinations. Royal mail will not, however, accept asbestos under any circumstances for international carriage.
I will not be taking any additional steps to prevent the postage by retailers of Second World War gas masks containing asbestos.
Asked by: Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will issue guidance on the safe use of bicycle trailers to provide a minimum level of safety for children being towed by bicycles on the roads.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Department has no current plans to issue guidance on the safe use of trailers on bicycles. However children should be transported safely and securely and trailers should be in a roadworthy condition before being used on the highway.