§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the major categories of vehicles involved in serious accidents on motorways in each of the last 10 years; what subsequent recommendations he received in each category for changes in design and equipment; and what steps were then taken by his Department;
(2) on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years mechanical failure has been a major cause of accidents on motorways.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe numbers of vehicles by major category involved in serious and fatal motorway accidents, and the involvement rates per 100 million vehicle kilometres, between 1980 and 1982, are as follows:
1980 1981 1982 Cars Number 1,600 1,634 1,723 Rate 7 7.5 7.8 Lorries Number 463 490 519 Rate 10 10 10 Buses and coaches Number 18 28 38 Rate 7 9 12 Light vans Number 155 172 158 Rate 9 10 8.9 Motorcycles Number 153 134 156 Rate 91 71 82 Figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Police accident reports do not record the causes of road accidents or the mechanical condition of the vehicles involved. But there are many other sources of information on the contribution of vehicle design to road safety, and a number of new requirements have been introduced as a result.