HC Deb 25 November 1982 vol 32 cc554-5W
Mr. Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report for each of the past five years (a) the number of fatalities, (b) the number of persons suffering serious injuries and (c) the number of persons suffering minor injuries in accidents at or near to road works on roads in England and Wales.

Mrs. Chalker

Before 1979, accident reports did not record whether road works were present or not. About 75 per cent. of reports contained this information in 1979, and 80 per cent. in 1980 and 1981. All accidents should be covered in 1982. For those accidents covered—not necessarily a representative sample of all injury accidents—the casualties where road works were recorded as being present were as follows, for England and Wales:

Killed Seriously injured Slightly injured All severities
1979 66 755 2,397 3,218
1980 64 731 2,436 3,231
1981 56 836 2,514 3,406

Further discussion of this topic will be found in "Road Accidents Great Britain 1981", a copy of which will be placed in the Library on publication early in December.