§ Lord Janner of Braunstoneasked Her Majesty's Government:
By what methods they are currently seeking information to estimate the number of front seat occupants of vehicles injured in Great Britain as a result of being hit by unbelted rear seat passengers; and when they expect that information to become available. [HL2930]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)We have commissioned TRL Ltd to examine data in its fatal accident database (derived from police accident reports) and from the Cooperative Crash Injury Study to assess the number of front seat occupant deaths which could be attributed to a rear seat passenger not wearing a restraint. We have also asked them, as part of this work, to review the recently published Japanese study on this topic and to advise on its relevance to the British situation. A report is expected during May and I will write to my noble friend when we have it.