§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Donald William Spalton, charged and convicted at Burton-on-Trent county police court on the 22nd November for driving without due care and attention, when it appeared in evidence that some months 1185W before he had suffered from severe concussion in a motor accident; and whether he will issue regulations requiring a person who has suffered from an injury likely to impede his driving ability to pass a medical examination and a driving test before he is allowed to drive a motor car again?
§ Mr. BurginYes, Sir. I am informed that the person named was convicted for driving without due care and attention and also for failing to stop after an accident.
I have no power to issue Regulations in the sense suggested, and in any case it would be difficult to define precisely the kind of injury to which Regulations of this character should apply. Section 5 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, provides that an applicant for a driving licence shall declare whether or not he is suffering from a disease or disability which would be likely to make his driving a source of danger, and further that if a licensing authority has reason to suppose that the holder of a licence suffers from such a disability they may revoke the licence. In each case the sufferer may, except where certain specified disabilities are involved, claim to undergo a test.