HC Deb 06 November 1996 vol 284 cc534-5W
Mr. Robathan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for 10 mph speed limits in residential areas. [2393]

Mr. Bowis

None.

Mr. Robathan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the (i) lives saved and (ii) injuries reduced where 20 mph speed limits have been introduced. [2394]

Mr. Bowis

The Department commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory to conduct research into the effectiveness of 20 mph zones. TRL published its report—TRL report No. 215—on 12 September 1996. The report shows that in the zones accident frequency fell by 60 per cent., pedestrian casualties fell by 61 per cent. and child pedestrian and child cyclist casualties fell by 67 per cent.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) speed cameras and (b) live speed cameras his Department plans to install in the next six months. [2060]

Mr. Bowis

Decisions on when and where speed enforcement camera equipment is installed are for local highway authorities to take, the Highways Agency for motorways and trunk roads and local authorities for other roads.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to introduce legislation requiring new vehicles to be fitted with on-board variable speed limiters; and if he will make a statement. [2056]

Mr. Bowis

None.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the principal elements of the "kill your speed" campaign over the next 24 months; and if he will make a statement; [2062]

(2) what plans his Department has to introduce measures to reduce the number of road crashes; and if he will make a statement. [2055]

Mr. Bowis

The Government regards the "kill your speed" campaign as a long-term commitment. Changing public attitudes to driving at inappropriate speeds is essential if the numbers of people killed and injured in road traffic accidents is to continue to decline.

In November 1992, the Government published a policy document, "Killing speed and saving lives", which sets out the main elements of the strategy. The more recent "Child pedestrian safety strategy", published in August this year, reaffirms the priority given to reducing urban speed. Copies of both these publications are available in the library.

Detailed plans for the next two years are under discussion.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of road crashes resulting in death or serious injury which involved a vehicle which was exceeding the speed limit in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [2058]

Mr. Bowis

During the 10 years 1986 to 1995 there were 513,636 road accidents in Great Britain involving death or serious injury. A total of 604,079 people were killed or seriously injured in these accidents. It is not known how many of the accidents involved a vehicle exceeding the speed limit. However, research by the Transport Research Laboratory and in the United States has indicated that around a third of road accident casualties resulted from accidents in which a vehicle was travelling with excessive speed. Some two thirds of such accidents occurred in roads with a 30 mph speed limit.