HC Deb 21 May 1973 vol 857 cc10-1W
Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the number of offences committed by garages either selling or servicing cars in an unsafe or unroadworthy condition in each of the years 1970, 1971 and 1972.

Mr. Carlisle

There were 275 convictions in England and Wales in 1970 and 280 in 1971 for selling a vehicle in an unroadworthy condition or altering it so as to render it unroadworthy. The information for 1972 is not yet available.

Mr. Leslie Huckfield

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the number of offences committed by motorists driving cars in an unroadworthy or unsafe condition in each of the last three years.

Mr. Carlisle

Information is not available in the form requested but the following table shows convictions in England and Wales for relevant offences under the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations. Information for 1972 is not yet available.

Vehicle on part in defective condition 1969 1970 1971
Emission of smoke 1,433 1,074 1,226
Glass not maintained, driver's vision obscured 58 88 51
Excessive dimensions 638 283 476
Not properly equipped 29,495 28,414 27,881
Load offences
Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of number of passengers carried 986 1,082 1,010
Causing danger by reason of load 3,522 2,174 2,115
Long and projecting loads 1,070 938 864
Dropping offensive matter, sand, gravel, etc, on road 313 157 159
Exceeding maximum gross weight or axle weight 3,161 4,495 4,352
Other weight and load offences including insecure loads 2,797 4,187 4,186