§ 3.8 p.m.
§ Lord Bradshawasked Her Majesty's Government:
What actions they are proposing to reduce road deaths and accidents as outlined in the 10-year transport plan.
§ Lord FilkinMy Lords, the 10-year plan for transport referred to the Government's target to reduce road deaths and serious injuries in Britain by 40 per cent by 2010. Details of the wide range of measures that will deliver that and our other road safety targets are set out in the strategy document, Tomorrow's roads—safer for everyone, which was published in March 2000.
§ Lord BradshawMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. In view of the Government's reluctance to take action against people who use mobile phones, which we discussed on Monday, and the considerable tightening of the criteria of the siting of speed cameras, which makes it most difficult to erect them on new sites—indeed, many of the existing cameras are to be put into roadside storage—have they any chance of meeting the steep reductions in casualties which they anticipate?
§ Lord FilkinMy Lords, yes, we have. We are quietly positive about the progress so far. First, after two years of a 10-year programme, we are already one-third of the way towards achieving the death and serious injury target. Already there has been a 13 per cent reduction in deaths and serious injuries on our roads as compared with when the programme began. Secondly, with regard to child deaths and serious injuries, we are half way to meeting that target after two years. That has already produced a reduction of 24 per cent as compared with the base figures.
In no way are we complacent about these statistics. As the House well knows, every one of those deaths and serious injuries represents a tragedy, but there are no grounds for believing that we are off course on this. If anything, it is the reverse. That is a compliment to the British public, which has made a major contribution to the achievement of this improvement.
Lord BerkeleyMy Lords, can my noble friend help me with regard to a question about human nature?
1071 From his earlier response, it seems that drivers recognise that if they do not see a bright red—a bright yellow—camera with warning signs, then they can speed with impunity. Given the proven link between higher speed driving and serious accidents, how will that reduce the number of accidents over the next 10 years?
§ Lord FilkinMy Lords, I regret to say that drivers will never see a bright red camera because they are to be painted yellow. However, perhaps that is beside the point. The purpose of speed cameras, which so far are being assessed in 15 pilot programmes which are to he further extended, is not to boost the Revenue by catching a great many people, but rather to help shift the behaviour of drivers. The issue is very serious. It does not concern trying to criminalise people, but trying to put across to the public that speed kills. Around 70 per cent of people are killed if they are hit by a car travelling at 35 miles per hour whereas if they are hit by a car travelling at 25 miles an hour, the percentage death rate is vastly lower. Thus it matters massively to reduce speed.
The extensive speed camera programme is already showing evidence that it is significantly reducing deaths and serious injuries wherever the cameras are located—by almost 50 per cent in the pilot areas.
§ Lord GeddesMy Lords, does the noble Lord agree that, to a certain extent, a factor which adds to the number of road deaths and accidents is the increasing tendency of push cyclists to ignore anything to do with the Highway Code? They ride on pavements and ride across red lights with impunity.
§ Lord FilkinMy Lords, I shall be careful of what I say about cyclists after my comments earlier in the week. Certainly most of us have noticed that there does seem to be some difference in the behaviour of cyclists; that is, not all cyclists. I do not think that anyone in this House is anti-cyclist. We want to see more people using bicycles rather than fewer. However, it would be good if cyclists used the road rather than the pavement and it would be good if they stopped at traffic lights. Clearly, if they do not, they have committed offences and they can he prosecuted.
§ Viscount SimonMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that within the Metropolitan Police district during 2001, the number of people killed on the roads in the district increased by 32 per cent over the previous year? In only slightly in excess of that 12-month period, the number of traffic officers on the road in the Metropolitan Police district had fallen by around 50 per cent. Would my noble friend like to hazard a guess as to whether there might be any correlation between the two?
Lord FainMy Lords, I am not aware of either of those statistics. However, they are important and I shall certainly look at them after today's Question Time. It is possible that there is a connection, but I should have thought it unlikely. In a sense, the number 1072 of traffic officers does not have a particularly powerful effect on deterring dangerous situations. The issue concerns much more driver behaviour in a whole variety of circumstances. While one would expect the presence of more traffic police on the roads, like the presence of more traffic cameras, to have some effect, the fundamental issue is the one we talked about previously. Each of us, including myself, must take responsibility for our own behaviour on the roads. We must recognise that we can kill people if we do not observe the highest standards of behaviour. I do not think that any government have yet put that point over clearly to the public; namely, that we have to shift our own behaviour. It is not for someone else.
§ The Countess of MarMy Lords, I found the noble Lord's response to the reduced number of traffic police officers on the road rather strange. Has he never been driving on a motorway when a police car has appeared? He would have noticed that everyone reduces their speed. When the noble Lord referred to cyclists being caught by the police, the point made by the noble Viscount, Lord Simon, is quite apparent: there are no traffic police officers about to catch those wretched cyclists who go over red lights and ride on the pavements. Could the noble Lord please look seriously at the situation with regard to the traffic police force?
§ Lord FilkinMy Lords, yes, the Government will look at it. We are committed to trying to make a very significant improvement in road safety standards. Clearly the police have a major part to play in that. However, I think that we are being assisted by the new technology. Speed cameras and traffic light cameras provide a more effective way of detecting offences than using highly skilled police resources, because they do not require the same amount of police time. Evidence so far from their use has been extremely positive. Nevertheless, I shall take up the suggestion put by the noble Countess.
§ Baroness Thomas of WalliswoodMy Lords, can the Minister justify his claim of a 25 per cent reduction in road accidents when the numbers supplied by the Library to my noble friend show that in 1997, those killed and seriously injured numbered 46,500? The number for 2001 was 41,500. That represents a fall of only 5,000 out of 46,000, which translates to a reduction of 11 per cent.
§ Lord FilkinMy Lords, the detailed figures are no secret. They are published every quarter on the website. I have a copy of the latest set which I shall be happy to share with the noble Baroness after Question Time. In essence, the number of deaths and serious injuries recorded in 2000 was 41,564, which is 13 per cent lower than the base year; namely, the average of the years 1994–98, the latter of which was the latest year on which there were any statistics before the figures came into effect.
1073 Noble Lords may laugh; it is good to laugh. However, I do not think that we could achieve a fairer or more sensible base. The progress from that base—for which the Government do not take credit; that goes to the public—is significant. We have a long way further to go on this and by no means is this the position at which we want to remain.