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Written question asked by Owen Paterson (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 May 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 24 May 2007. It was answered by Stephen Ladyman (Labour) on Monday, 4 June 2007 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Roads: Accidents

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse has been of (a) fatal road traffic accidents, (b) serious road traffic accidents and (c) minor road traffic accidents in each year since 1997.
Answer

The values used to estimate the benefits of the prevention of road accidents are set out in the "Highways Economic Note No. 1: 2005 Valuation of the Benefits of Prevention of Road Accidents and Casualties" which can be found on the DfT website at"http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/ea/."Included within these values are the costs to public funds for medical, ambulance and police costs (emergency services). The estimated totals of such costs in each year since 1997 in Great Britain are set out in the following table.

Estimated cost of emergency services
£ million
Fatal accidents Serious accidents Slight accidents
2005 21 334 202
2004 21 349 201
2003 25 356 198
2002 25 366 198
2001 24 356 188
2000 14 360 190
1999 19 346 178
1998 24 346 167
1997 24 346 167

The values reported in the ““Highways Economic Note No. 1: 2005 Valuation of the Benefits of Prevention of Road Accidents and Casualties”” also cover a wide range of other costs incurred following accidents. These include the human costs of pain, grief and suffering, insurance and administrative costs, damage to property and lost output. Some element of these costs must be borne by the public sector, but reliable estimates as to the size of this burden are not available.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
139667; 461 c108-9W
Session
2006-07
Subjects
Accidents Roads
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk