Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing penalty points on drivers' licences for not wearing seat belts.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has made no assessment of the potential merits of introducing penalty points on drivers' licences for not wearing seat belts. The “Seat belt and mobile phone use surveys: England and Scotland, 2014” observed that 98.2% of car drivers were using seat belts, suggesting that take-up is nearly universal.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport of 24 April 2018, Official Report, column 356WH, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on road safety of the decision to eliminate safety targets; and what the killed or seriously injured figures were in each year from 2007 to 2017.
Answered by Jesse Norman
There is no robust academic evidence to indicate the lack of targets in the UK has contributed to the lack of progress in road casualty reduction since 2010. There has been a stalling of progress in road casualty reductions across many economically advanced countries, affecting countries with targets (e.g. Sweden and the Netherlands) as well as the UK where there is no target.
The KSI statistics for road accident casualties between 2007 and 2016 can be found in the table below along with a comparison to the 2010 – 2014 average. The KSI figures for 2017 will be published later this year.
Year | Killed | Seriously injured | Killed or Seriously injured | Slightly injured | All casualties |
2007 | 2,946 | 27,774 | 30,720 | 217,060 | 247,780 |
2008 | 2,538 | 26,034 | 28,572 | 202,333 | 230,905 |
2009 | 2,222 | 24,690 | 26,912 | 195,234 | 222,146 |
2010 | 1,850 | 22,660 | 24,510 | 184,138 | 208,648 |
2011 | 1,901 | 23,122 | 25,023 | 178,927 | 203,950 |
2012 | 1,754 | 23,039 | 24,793 | 170,930 | 195,723 |
2013 | 1,713 | 21,657 | 23,370 | 160,300 | 183,670 |
2014 | 1,775 | 22,807 | 24,582 | 169,895 | 194,477 |
2015 | 1,730 | 22,144 | 23,874 | 162,315 | 186,189 |
2016 | 1,792 | 24,101 | 25,893 | 155,491 | 181,384 |
2010 -2014 average | 1,799 | 22,657 | 24,456 | 172,838 | 197,294 |
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) police authorities on setting their own road safety targets since the removal of Government road safety targets in 2010; and what information his Department holds on the number of such bodies which have set such targets.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The British Road Safety statement sets out the Department for Transport’s overall principles and priorities in relation to British road safety. Local authorities, the police and other bodies are free to set their own road safety targets if they wish.
The Department does not issue guidance to local authorities or the police on setting their own road safety targets, nor does it hold records on bodies which may have done so. What matters is that local road safety practitioners, the police or local authorities should be apply and adapt their knowledge and skills to local circumstances.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the health effects of achieving the aims of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department has not made a detailed assessment of this matter. The health benefits of cycling and walking are considerable and the Department is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England on the delivery of the £1.2 billion Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.