Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has any plans to introduce a financial support scheme for victims of road traffic accidents that result in (a) serious injury or (b) death, as a result of an involuntary actions, where legal liability cannot be established.

We have some of the safest roads in the world, but the Government is not complacent about road safety and recognises the trauma associated with the deaths and serious injuries arising from road traffic collisions. Road deaths and injuries can cause suffering, economic loss and life-changing misfortune, and reducing this on our roads is a key priority.

In those cases where a motorist is insured, the provision of compensation should be met by the insurer. Where a driver is either uninsured or untraced, there is provision in place for compensation to be claimed from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. Since there are existing provisions for financial compensation no other direct financial support for victims is currently being considered.

However, the Department recognises that road crash victims or their relatives may need additional support to pursue claims, or in dealing with bereavement or other emotional and psychological trauma. The Department has previously made a contribution to the funding of the National Road Victim Service provided by the charity Brake. Additionally, the Department is funding the roads policing review. One of the concerns that the review is exploring is post collision victim care, the services available to victims and their families, and how they are funded. We await the findings of the review which we hope to have by the end of this year.