Speed Limits (Hansard, 2 December 1988)

§ Mr. Squire
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of lorries using Britain's motorways he estimates are in breach of speed limits.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
A survey of vehicle speeds on motorways, under conditions where traffic was able to flow freely, found that 22 per cent. of heavy goods vehicles travelling on motorways were exceeding their speed limit of 60 miles per hour in 1987.
During a similar survey in 1983, the corresponding figure was 39 per cent.

§ Mr. Squire
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to require lorries to instal speed limiters to prevent them breaking speed limits.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
Not at present.

§ Mr. Squire
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the number of accidents involving fatalities or serious injury which occurred through lorries breaking speed limits on Britain's motorways for each year between 1983 and 1987.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
Data are not collected on the causes of accidents.

§ Mr. Squire
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is considering steps to facilitate the introduction of roadside and car-mounted cameras to monitor road speeds.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
I have been asked to reply.
The road traffic law review which was published in April recommended the use of cameras to detect speeding and traffic light offences. The Government have endorsed in principle the review's conclusion that the use of cameras for these purposes is acceptable and that satisfactory procedures can be developed for using the evidence from such devices. We shall be announcing our conclusions on the review as a whole early in the new year.