HC Deb 11 July 1988 vol 137 cc90-1W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's assessment of the link between the incidence and severity of road accidents and the speed at which the vehicles involved have been travelling.

Accidents and casualties: by severity, major and minor roads and speed limit: 1986
Number of accidents Number of casualties
Fatal Serious Slight All severities Fatal Seriously injured Slightly injured All severities
Major roads: 1
Speed limit
30 mph 959 14,475 56,338 71,772 993 15,881 70,067 86,941
40 mph 436 3,419 10,377 14,232 466 4,048 14,746 19,260
50 mph 79 453 1,530 2,062 90 602 2,348 3,040
60 mph 1,110 7,685 16,086 24,881 1,306 10,993 28,063 40,362
70 mph 584 2,894 8,131 11,609 695 4,026 13,826 18,547
All limits2 3,168 28,926 92,467 124,561 3,550 35,550 129,055 168,155
Minor roads:3
Speed limit
30 mph 1,063 21,456 75,139 97,658 1,096 23,354 91,719 116,169
40 mph 102 1,140 2,991 4,233 108 1,314 4,208 5,630
50 mph 5 83 239 327 6 106 329 441
60 mph 550 6,507 13,697 20,754 613 8,328 21,665 30,606
70 mph 7 74 231 312 9 99 332 440
All limits2 1,727 29,261 92,302 123,290 1,832 33,202 118,259 153,293
All roads, all limits2 4 4,895 58,187 184,772 247,854 5,382 68,752 247,317 321,451
1 Motorways and A roads.
2 Includes unknown speed limits.
3 B, C and unclassified roads.
4 Includes unknown road class.

The relationship between speed and the number of accidents is unclear. Other aspects of driver behaviour may be of greater significance.