§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic accidents involving Volvo 300 series automatics have been recorded by his Department.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe road traffic accident statistics requested are not available. During the last three years the Department's vehicle inspectorate has received details of 185 incidents involving Volvo 300 series automatics.
§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions his Department has reached following its investigation of traffic accidents involving Volvo 300 automatic cars; and what changes in training manuals of servicing procedures have been suggested to the company.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe vehicle inspectorate has concluded that if the gear selector lever is inadvertently located between the designated gear engagement positions, the vehicle could move away in reverse if the throttle is depressed. An engineering solution has been developed by the manufacturer and evaluated by the inspectorate. The manufacturer will institute a recall during May of this year to fit this equipment to Volvo 300 automatics manufactured after 1978. The manufacturer has highlighted the correct driving procedures and produced a new supplementary handbook for issue as part of the recall action.