§ Mr. SnapeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence he has on the relative probability of older drivers causing or being involved in road accidents.
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§ Mr. Peter BottomleyA detailed analysis of car driver accident involvement rates by age is given in TRRL research report 135, "The variation of car drivers' accident risk with age", which is available in the House of Commons Library. Updated figures, based on this report, will be given in "Road Accidents Great Britain 1987" which is expected to be published at the end of November.
No data are available on the probability of an older driver causing an accident as such information is not recorded on the accident report form.
The following table shows the number of car drivers involved in accidents, in 1987, for three approximately equal age bands of driver. However, as probability of being involved in an accident depends on the distance driven, and as older drivers do not drive as far, in general, as younger ones, the figures do not give a complete picture. This can be obtained from the TRRL report.
Age of driver Number involved Percentage of total Under 35 146,276 51 35–54 86,447 30 55 and over 34,729 12 Not reported 20,184 7 All ages 287,636 100