HC Deb 30 November 1993 vol 233 cc412-3W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many coaches in England and Wales were tested for roadworthiness in each year since 1979; how many failed this test; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

Vehicle testing is conducted by the Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency (VI). The annual statutory testing of public service vehicles began in 1982. The statistics are not produced on a regional basis and therefore relate to all first annual tests conducted in England, Scotland and Wales. Additional information on PSV testing and retests can be found in current and past editions of the VI annual report and accounts.

Year Number of tests Initial failures1 Final failures2
31982–83 66,221 16,357
31983–84 65,292 13,972
31984–85 61,288 11,749
1985–86 69,334 27,110 13,250
1986–87 68,376 26,462 13,627
1987–88 67,282 27,128 14,986
1988–89 72,215 27,998 15,620
1989–90 72,391 27,407 14,963
1990–91 71,351 24,994 13,692
1991–92 71,789 26,443 13,647
1992–93 73,350 27,059 13,342
1 Initial failures are those for vehicles as presented for the annual test.
2 Final failures are those following rectification of minor defects.
3 Statistical information on initial failures is unavailable.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal coach crashes there have been in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Key

The number of fatal coach accidents and their resulting fatalities are shown for each year from 1979 to 1992 in the table.

All accidents involving coach occupant fatalities
Fatal coach accidents Occupant fatalities in coaches
1979 27 34
1980 27 29
1981 19 20
1982 27 33
1983 26 38
1984 35 37
1985 25 32
1986 21 24
1987 14 15
1988 17 17
1989 18 20
1990 17 19
1991 22 25
1992 17 19
All fatal accidents involving coaches
Fatal accidents All fatalities1
1979 299 327
1980 253 272
1981 219 239
1982 248 279
1983 234 263
1984 224 245
1985 181 211
1986 195 227
1987 187 199
1988 174 188
1989 195 223
1990 209 225
1991 177 189
1992 160 177
1 Includes pedestrians and fatalies in other vehicles involved in a coach accident.

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