§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorcycle casualties were involved in road traffic accidents for the latest available year; what proportion of these were provisional licence holders; what proportion resulted from accidents involving cars and what were the primary causes of accidents; and what proportion of these resulted from a single vehicle accident and what were the primary causes of accident.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe latest year for which figures are available is 1987. There were 45,801 motorcycle user casualties in road accidents in Great Britain—42,288 riders and 3,513 passengers. Of these, 723 were killed and 13,173 were seriously injured.
It is not known what proportion of these motorcycle riders were provisional licence holders; in 3 per cent. of accidents involving motorcycles the motorcycle was displaying an L plate.
Of the motorcycle user casualties, 21 per cent. occurred in single vehicle accidents, and 61 per cent in accidents involving a motorcycle and a car.
The causes of accidents are not recorded on the STATS 19 reporting forms. Of the accidents involving a car and a motorcycle, we know that the car was turning right in about 40 per cent. of cases.