§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of road accidents during each of the last five years in which driver tiredness was(a) the cause and (b) a contributing factor. [158740]
§ Mr. HillStatistics on the main contributory factors in road accidents are not available. Research on behalf of the Department indicates that for car drivers in particular, driver fatigue may have been a principal factor in around 10 per cent. of accidents across the road network in Great Britain.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of research into tiredness as a cause of road accidents. [158741]
§ Mr. HillThe Department began its research programme on fatigue in December 1992 and research work continues. Data from the programme have greatly improved our understanding of the effects of fatigue on driving. The results have been developed into recommendations to drivers that have been incorporated into the Highway Code. In addition, the Department launched last August a long-term programme of publicity and advice on measures to counter driver fatigue.
§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Tiredness Kills notices; [158405]
(2) how many Tiredness Kills signs there are on UK motorways; and where they are located. [158242]
§ Mr. HillI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Ben Chapman, dated 26 April 2001:
I have been asked by the Transport Minister Keith Hill to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about Tiredness Kills signs. You asked how many of these signs there are on UK motorways; where they are located; and what assessment has been made of their effectiveness.310WThe Secretary of State's responsibilities and, therefore, the Agency's extend only to England, where these signs—which are usually worked "Tiredness Can Kill, Take a Break"—have been provided on the approaches to the following service areas:
- A1(M) Blyth (southbound only)
- M1 Leicester Forest East
- M1 Toddington
- M1 Trowell
- M1 Woodall
- M1 Wooley Edge
- M2 Medway
- M4 Leigh Delamere
- M4 Reading
- M5 Cullompton (southbound only)
- M5 Exeter
- M5 Frankley
- M6 Burton
- M6 Hilton Park
- M6 Knutsford
- M6 Sandbach
- M6 Southwaite
- M6 Stafford
- M6 Tebay
- M18 Doncaster North
- M23 Pease Pottage
- M25 Thurrock (southbound only)
- M40 Cherwell Valley
- M42 Tamworth
- M62 Ferry bridge
- M62 Hartshead Moor
- M69 Leicester Forest East (northbound only)
- M180 Doncaster North (westbound only)
Except where indicated, the practice is to provide one such sign on each carriageway, making a total of around fifty across the network.We have made no systematic assessment of the effectiveness of the signs, though we do regard them as a useful reminder to motorway users of the dangers of continuing to drive when tired.