HC Deb 04 June 1998 vol 313 cc307-9W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of road accidents involving one or more(a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) slight injuries at least one driver or rider was convicted of a road traffic offence, in the latest year for which figures are available. [44000]

Findings of guilt at all courts for selected offence groups, by age and sex of offender, England and Wales—1996
Male Female
All ages1 17–24 25–59 60+ All ages1 17–24 25–59 60+
Causing death or bodily harm 348 157 169 14 22 2 20
Dangerous driving 5,584 2,801 2,454 42 166 63 92 6
Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 87,956 22,018 63,119 2,373 7,749 1,565 6,014 147
1 Includes offences committed by persons under 17

The exact age of persons over 20 is not collected centrally for offences of careless driving, speed limit offences or offences of neglect of traffic directions, but

Findings of guilt at all courts for selected offence groups, by age and sex of offender, England and Wales—1996
Male Female
All ages1 Under 21 21 and over All ages Under 21 21 and over
Careless driving 48,790 7,796 40,994 8,632 992 7,640
Speed limit offences 115,388 6,854 108,535 14,651 666 13,985
Neglect of traffic directions 30,223 2,549 27,674 5,083 264 4,819
1 Includes offences committed by persons under 17

Mr. Michael

The information requested is not available. The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions collects statistics of road accidents, but its records do not show whether persons involved are subsequently convicted of a road traffic offence.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of convictions for road traffic offences heard in(a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts related to incidents involving one or more fatal, serious or slight injuries, in the latest year for which figures are available. [44001]

Mr. Michael

The available information relates to convictions for offences of causing death by dangerous or careless driving, by aggravated vehicle taking and causing bodily harm in England and Wales in 1996.

Convictions for offences of causing death numbered ten at magistrates' courts and offences of causing bodily harm three. The total number of convictions for motoring offences at magistrates' courts was 1,476,991. The Crown Court figures were 329 and 28 respectively, and the total convictions for motoring offences 15,397.

The information held centrally does not enable other offences involving injury to be identified.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) male and (b) female motorists aged (i) 17 to 24, (ii) 25 to 59 and (iii) 60 years and over were convicted in relation to motoring of (1) causing death or bodily harm, (2) dangerous driving, (3) alcohol or drug-related offences, (4) careless driving, (5) speed limit offences and (6) offences related to neglect of traffic directions, in the latest year for which figures are available. [43997]

Mr. Michael

The following table gives the information in relation to offences of causing death or bodily harm, dangerous driving and driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs. The figures relate to the number of offences for which persons of the relevant age and sex were convicted, not the number of persons involved.

the following table gives the nearest information to that requested.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many random roadside checks on motorists were carried out by police; and how many of these motorists were driving while disqualified, in the latest year for which figures are available. [43996]

Mr. Michael

Information is not available on the number of random roadside checks carried out by the police on motorists. There were 42,508 convictions for driving while disqualified in England and Wales in 1996.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fines were issued for motoring offences; and of these how many(a) were paid without a reminder, (b) were paid after a reminder and (c) remained unpaid after 12 months in 1996. [43994]

Mr. Michael

1,032,897 fines were issued in England and Wales during 1996, but it is not known how many were paid or unpaid.

Fines are collected from the courts by the Lord Chancellor's Department for passing to the Treasury, and it is not possible to distinguish the offences for which the fines were given.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) on how many occasions motorists were found guilty of a motoring offence for which they had(a) already received a written warning during the previous three years and (b) already been convicted in the previous three years, in the latest year for which figures are available; [43999]

(2) on how many occasions motorists were issued with a written warning for a motoring offence for which they had already received a written warning during the latest year for which figures are available and the previous three years. [43998]

Mr. Michael

The information held centrally does not enable the previous records of motorists to be compared with the latest offence committed or dealt with. The Home Office Offenders' Index covers the criminal history of offenders, but this is limited to convictions for standard list offences and covers very few motoring offences.