§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the reverse in safety campaign; what has been his response; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyWe are aware of the campaign. I have received a request for a meeting with the organisers. Regulations leave operators free to choose whether to fit reversing alarms to their vehicles or not. When the regulations were formulated we believe we struck a good balance between the possible safety benefits and the potential noise nuisance.
Reversing alarms are an aid to safety. It would be misleading and dangerous to place complete reliance on them. When a driver reverses, it is his sole responsibility to ensure that it is safe to do so and that there are no obstructions and no people, who might be deaf or disabled, in the way. That is the advice given in the Highway Code. The vast majority of drivers of all classes 93W of vehicle follow it. As a result the number of fatalities and serious injuries caused by vehicles being driven in reverse gear is very small.
The current regulations were made in 1985 following wide consultation about the draft. There is no evidence of a serious problem. I do not think a meeting is necessary at the moment.