§ Mr. David MarshallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the difference in fatal accident rates on(a) motorways and (b) trunk roads in (i) Scotland and (ii) England and Wales; and what action he will take to reduce the rates in Scotland. [19127]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThere are a number of possible reasons for the differences in fatal accident rates on motorways and trunk roads in Scotland compared with England and Wales, including weather, traffic density and longer hours of darkness. In order to examine this further, the Scottish Office has recently commenced an investigation into the impact of characteristics of the road network in Scotland on accident rates. This investigation is expected to be completed at the end of 1996.
The Scottish Office is taking a number of new initiatives in the fields of engineering, education and enforcement which are designed to improve safety on all roads in Scotland. These include, for trunk roads, route accident reduction plans, route action plans and the introduction of speed cameras to decrease vehicle speeds and so to reduce the incidence and severity of accidents.