§ Mr. BatisteTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents in the last five years have involved a vehicle crashing through a crash barrier on the central reservation of a motorway or a dual carriageway road.
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§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe table shows the number of accidents on motorways or dual carriageway roads in which at least one vehicle left the carriageway offside on to the central reservation. The number of accidents is broken down by whether the vehicle entering the central reservation hit the central crash barrier, and whether it crossed the central reserve.
Accidents involving a vehicle leaving the carriageway onto central reservation: Great Britain, 1983–1987 Number of accidents where at least one vehicle left the carriageway offside onto the central reservation 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Percentage change 1987–83 Vehicle hit central barrier Stayed on reservation or rebounded 579 767 752 844 918 59 Crossed central reservation 94 87 90 115 118 26 Total 669 852 834 953 1,031 54 Vehicle did not hit central barrier Stayed on reservation or rebounded 1,414 1,509 1,572 1,585 1,545 9 Crossed central reservation 600 755 710 754 720 20 Total 1,990 2,231 2,254 2,299 2,236 12 All accidents Stayed on reservation or rebounded 1,993 2,276 2,324 2,429 2,463 24 Crossed central reservation 694 842 800 869 838 21 Total 2,659 3,083 3,088 3,252 3,267 23 Note.—Because some accidents will have involved more than one vehicle, the totals are less than the sum of their constituent parts.
The following table shows the number of accidents involving vehicles on motorways or dual carriageway
Number of accidents 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Accidents where a vehicle crossed the central reservation 694 842 800 869 838 Accidents where a vehicle hit the central crash barrier and crossed the central reservation 94 87 90 115 118
§ Mr. BatisteTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will review the specification for crash barriers on motorways and dual carriageways.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe specification for safety fences is kept under continual review and changes are introduced whenever justified. A recent example is the introduction, subject to approval under European law, of a design of wire rope safety fence that I announced on 22 December 1988,Official Report, cols. 415–16.
A range of higher containment fences and barriers has been developed. By definition, they are considerably less forgiving than existing safety fences. The Department is therefore undertaking a careful assessment of the costs and benefits of their possible deployment. Some further impact testing is required before this assessment can be fully completed. Research currently being carried out in some other European countries will be relevant. It will be some time before a decision can be made.