§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has(a) to close and (b) restrict traffic over the Chiswick flyover in the medium term. [3851]
§ Mr. NorrisI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
273WLetter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Barry Sheerman, dated 6 December 1995:
As you know, the Minister for Local Transport and Road Safety and Transport in London, Mr Steven Norris, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, asking the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has (a) to close and (b) restrict traffic over the Chiswick flyover in the medium term.My reply related to work to the M4 elevated section which extends from Junction 1 (east of Chiswick roundabout) to Boston Manor playing fields.The M4 elevated section is closed in one direction on a six weekly cycle eight times a year to enable routine maintenance to be undertaken safely. We are taking advantage of these closures to replace leaking joints.Essential work to replace bearings at the Boston Manor Viaduct is scheduled to commence in March 1996 and expected to last for [...]months. Much of this will be carried out without the need for closures. A limited number of full carriageway night time closures at weekends and partial night time carriageway closures from Monday to Thursday will be required.Investigations to prepare a programme of repairs to the M4 elevated section are ongoing. It is expected that most, if not all of the ensuing works will be able to be completed without daytime closures of the M4 during the working week. However they will require night time closures of the motorway.Details of works and their likely impact will be published well in advance to advise local residents and to allow road users to plan their journeys.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of road fatalities associated with drink driving, identifying those who were drunk drivers or riders, for each of the last 16 years. [3788]
§ Mr. NorrisThe information requested is shown in the table.
Estimate of deaths in drink related road accidents in Great Britain, 1979–94 Year All deaths in drink-related road accidents Of which drivers or riders over limit 1979 1,640 850 1980 1,450 780 1981 1,420 730 1982 1,550 840 1983 1,110 600 1984 1,170 580 1985 1,040 550 1986 990 520 1987 900 480 1988 790 420 1989 810 440 1990 760 400 1991 660 360 1992 660 350 1993 540 300 1994 (provisional) 510 320 A drink driver accident is defined as one where one or more of the drivers involved refused to give a specimen or failed either (i) a breath test by registering over 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 ml of breath, or (ii) a blood test by registering more than 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. The above figures are adjusted to allow for the fact that not all drink-drive accidents are detected.
§ Mr. BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of dead, drunk pedestrians in each of the last 16 years. [3787]
274W
§ Mr. NorrisThere is no legal definition of a drunk pedestrian. However, the table shows estimates of the numbers of pedestrians killed in road accidents who were over the legal limit for driving.
Estimated number of pedestrians over the legal drink-drive limit killed in road accidents: Great Britain: 1979–94 Year Deaths 1979 570 1980 490 1981 360 1982 420 1983 450 1984 420 1985 360 1986 480 1987 490 1988 410 1989 440 1990 460 1991 360 1992 380 1993 330 Coroners' data for 1994 are not yet available.