§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the removal of full moped licence entitlement from new car licences; and if he will make a statement. [97672]
§ Mr. HillIn July, we consulted on a proposal to issue successful car driving test candidates with a provisional, rather than a full moped licence, as part of a package of measures to improve rider safety. This would mean that newly qualified drivers wanting to ride a moped would be required to take a basic training course like other persons who wish to ride powered two-wheelers. These drivers are generally young, and they have high accident rates. Our reason for proposing this change is that the skills for riding safely a powered two-wheeler are different from those for driving a car and that these riders would be safer on the road after basic training. The proposed change would not affect anyone who already held a full moped licence. We are currently considering the responses that we have received and, when we have taken decisions, they will be announced.
§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many(a) moped riders and (b) cyclists were (i) killed and (ii) seriously injured in the years 1993 to 1998; what were the annual rates per 100,000 in each case; and if he will make a statement. [97673]
393W
§ Mr. HillThe number of killed and seriously injured pedal cyclists and moped riders in Great Britain and rates of casualty per 100,000 population are given in the table.
Pedal cyclists Moped riders Killed Seriously injured Killed Seriously injured Casualties 1993 186 3,611 22 660 1994 172 3,829 17 545 1995 213 3,754 19 541 1996 203 3,586 11 431 1997 183 3,409 17 402 1998 158 3,154 10 393 Casualty rate per 100,000 population 1993 0.33 6.38 0.04 1.17 1994 0.30 6.75 0.03 0.96 1995 0.37 6.59 0.03 0.95 1996 0.36 6.28 0.02 0.75 1997 0.32 5.95 0.03 0.70 1998 0.27 5.48 0.02 0.68