§ Lembit ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorcyclists were(a) killed and (b) seriously injured where (i) no other vehicle was involved, (ii) the motorcyclist was on a bend in the road when the accident happened and (iii) the motorcyclist was categorised as inexperienced in 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [159469]
§ Mr. JamiesonIn accidents during 2002 where (i) no other vehicle was involved, 167 motorcyclists were killed and 1,614 were seriously injured, and (ii) in accidents where the motorcyclist was on the bend of a road when the accident happened, 230 motorcyclists were killed and 1,374 were seriously injured.
175WThe information regarding driver/rider inexperience is not available as routine accident reports do not currently record contributory factors to accidents. But under a pilot scheme, the incidence of rider inexperience was recorded as a contributory factor in about 5 per cent. of injury accidents in 2002 where the factor which precipitated the accident was attributed to the motorcyclist.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many road traffic accidents drug taking was a contributory factor in the accident in each year since 1997. [159035]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe information is not available as routine accident reports do not currently record contributory factors to accidents. But under a pilot scheme, information on contributory factors to road accidents has been collected by 15 police forces. The influence of drugs was recorded as a contributory factor in about 1 per cent. of injury accidents recorded under this pilot scheme in both 2001 and 2002.