§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal or serious spinal injuries 105W occurred as a result of road accidents in each of the last five years; how many of these injuries were suffered by people in seats which were or were not, respectively, fitted with proper head restraints; whether he has any estimate of how many such injuries could have been avoided if all car seats were fitted with such head restraints; and if he will estimate the additional cost per car of fitting such restraints.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe regular police road accident reports to my Department give no details of type of injury sustained nor indicate whether head restraints were fitted. In a 1980 TRRL study of 130 car occupants in rear impacts, no fatal or serious injuries were recorded.
Mortality statistics show 30 to 40 deaths from spinal injury—ICD 806,952—among motor vehicle drivers and passengers in England and Wales. The sample hospital inpatients inquiry shows around 250 spinal injuries a year arising from all traffic accidents in England and Wales.
I have no information on fitting costs.