§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the numbers of vehicles now fitted with front bull bars; what the numbers will be over the next five years if present trends continue; and what affect he expects the increase to have on accident figures in each of the next five years. [25268]
§ Mr. NorrisMy reply to the hon. Gentleman on the 30 March,Official Report, columns 786–87, gave the Transport Research Laboratory's estimate of the extra deaths and injuries to vulnerable road users that could result from collisions with vehicles fitted with bull bars. It is estimated that in 1993, on the latest figures available, 404W 3 per cent, of the vehicle fleet were off-road vehicles and 9 per cent, were delivery vans. The TRL's injury projections were based on 20 per cent, of these vehicles having bull bars.
Information on trends is not recorded. We cannot therefore estimate the effects of bull bars on future accident figures.
§ Mr. ScottTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instigate an investigation into the effect of bull bars in traffic accidents in the Metropolitan police district and publish a report. [25261]
§ Mr. NorrisThe Metropolitan police, on their own initiative, are collecting details of traffic accidents involving vehicles fitted with bull bars. We will be analysing the results of this work in due course as part of our wider analysis of the effects of bull bars in accidents.