Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What conclusions about the link between speed and motor accident severity can be drawn from research commissioned by the Department for Transport; on what research basis the proposal to introduce a system of graduated fixed penalties for speeding offences was made; and what analysis has been made of the potential changes in casualties that will occur if speeding penalties are altered in 30 miles per hour areas. [HL4341]
§ Lord Davies of OldhamResearch evidence suggests that lower speeds result in fewer collisions of lesser severity, and that excessive speed exacerbates the severity of accidents (TRL Project Report 58 (1994) and TRL Report 421 (2000), and international research such as Transportation Research Board, Washington, Special Report 254 (1998)). The Government are seeking to introduce flexibility into the fixed penalty system for speeding offences to address this link by ensuring that the more extreme the speed, the greater the penalty that applies. Our aim is to address the risks that arise from inappropriate speeds wherever they occur—in 30 mph limits and elsewhere. We are consulting on this general principle now so as to inform our policy approach.