§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the risk involved in children(a) travelling as car passengers and (b) travelling as motorcycle pillion passengers; and if he will make a statement. [100011]
§ Mr. HillThere were 85 child car passenger casualties per 100 million km travelled between 1996 and 1998 in Great Britain. Of these, seven per 100 million km were fatal or serious.
425WThe number of children identified in the National Travel Survey making journeys as motorcycle pillion passengers over the last five years has been too small to provide a reliable estimate for the population as a whole.
The absolute numbers of child passenger casualties in the past three years are as shown in the table.
Child passenger casualties (aged 0–15) in Great Britain: 1996–98 1996 1997 1998 1996–98 Two-wheel motor vehicle passengers Fatal 1 3 0 4 Serious 51 48 34 133 Slight 130 137 141 408 Total 182 188 175 545 Car passengers Fatal 75 72 63 210 Serious 1,218 1,171 1,133 3,522 Slight 14,036 14,598 14,546 43,180 Total 15,329 15,841 15,742 46,912