HL Deb 14 December 2004 vol 667 cc71-2WA
Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their best estimate of the number of: (a) motor cars without all-wheel braking; (b) privately owned light goods vehicles without all-wheel braking; (c) privately owned heavy goods vehicles without all-wheel braking; and (d) steam-driven vehicles without all-wheel braking. [HL237]

Lord Davies of Oldham

We are unable to make these estimates. On 31 December 1967 (just before the all-wheel braking requirement was implemented) there were 8,820,000 private cars licensed for the public road. Some 36 years later it is not possible to estimate reliably how many of them did not have all-wheel braking, although records show that 123,529 are still registered.

At 31 December 1967, 1,358,000 light goods vehicles and 593,000 heavy goods vehicles were registered for the road. It is not possible to estimate reliably how many of these were or are privately owned or the numbers without all-wheel braking, although records show 7,560 of those light goods vehicles and 17,236 of those heavy goods vehicles are still registered.

At 31 December 2003, 1,800 steam powered vehicles were licensed for the road. Many—if not all—of these are likely to be without all-wheel braking because if the engine of such a vehicle is capable of being reversed it is deemed to be a braking system and thus one of the two braking systems required.