HL Deb 13 December 2004 vol 667 cc66-8WA
Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether proposals have been made for a European Union directive or an amendment to the Construction and Use Regulations that would prohibit the use of road vehicles without braking on all wheels. [HL233]

Lord Davies of Oldham

No such proposals have been made. Motor cars and heavy motor cars registered since 1 January 1968 are already so prohibited.

Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the age of the newest vehicle, apart from agricultural and plant vehicles, that can be legally used on United Kingdom roads without all-wheel braking. [HL234]

Lord Davies of Oldham

Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, motor cars and heavy motor cars first used on or after 1 January 1968, and which are not works trucks or pedestrian controlled vehicles, must be braked on all wheels. Thus the newest motor car or truck without all-wheel braking to be permitted on the public highways of the UK would have been used for the first time on 31 December 1967.

If a vehicle is propelled by steam, and if the engine is capable of being reversed, the engine is deemed to be a braking system and thus one of the two braking methods required so such a vehicle is not required to have all-wheel braking. Locomotives and motor tractors (which pull rather than carry loads) and trailers carrying abnormal indivisible loads with a combined gross vehicle weight over 150 tonnes are also not required to have all-wheel braking.

Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their best estimate of the number of accidents that have been caused by vehicles not having braking on all wheels. [HL235]

Lord Davies of Oldham

Information in this format is not collected.

Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have commissioned any research into accidents that may have been caused by the operation of vehicles without all-wheel braking. [HL236]

Lord Davies of Oldham

No research into all-wheel braking on motor vehicles has been commissioned, but a project is currently considering very specific issues relating to the operation of parking brakes on light trailers. In addition, braking is one of many factors considered in the course of accident investigation projects sponsored by the Department for Transport, such as the On the Spot accident study and the heavy vehicle accident study.