§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the additional deaths and serious injuries a year caused to pedestrians by crash bars fitted to vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [20469]
§ Mr. NorrisExperimental research has suggested that the increased fitting of bull bars could lead to 35 additional deaths and 350 additional serious injuries in the United Kingdom each year by 1996. We do not, however, yet have any accident-based evidence. Pedestrian injury accidents involving bull bars are currently being identified by the police for investigation by the Transport Research Laboratory. We will have a fuller picture when the reports 507W of these accidents have been analysed towards the end of this year.