HC Deb 07 March 1990 vol 168 cc662-3W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roundabouts have been reduced in diameter each year for the last 10 years; and why.

Mr. Atkins

Numerical information of the kind requested is not collected. Reductions in the diameter of roundabouts are mainly made to improve efficiency and-or capacity.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was, for the five most recent years available, the number of road accidents which occurred at roundabouts; and whether the figures represent a growing or diminishing percentage of total road vehicle accidents.

Mr. Atkins

The Department collects information only on road accidents involving personal injury. The information requested for personal injury road accidents is as follows:

Personal injury road accidents at roundabouts: 1984 to 1988
Accidents at roundabouts All accidents Per cent, of accidents at roundabouts
1984
Fatal 70 5,138 1.36
Serious 1,884 62,048 3.04
All severities 11,592 253,183 4.58
1985
Fatal 64 4,768 1.34
Serious 1,884 60,286 3.13
Accidents at roundabouts All accidents Per cent, of accidents at roundabouts
All severities 11,723 245,645 4.77
1986
Fatal 82 4,895 1.68
Serious 1,862 58,187 3.20
All severities 12,028 247,854 4.85
1987
Fatal 66 4,694 1.41
Serious 1,719 54,352 3.16
All severities 11,831 239,063 4.95
1988
Fatal 68 4,643 1.46
Serious 1,775 53,850 3.30
All severities 13,037 246,994 5.28

The figures show that there has been a slight increase in the percentage of road accidents occurring at roundabouts over the five-year period. The number of these accidents in which there were fatal or serious casualties has declined over the same period.