Written question asked by Lord Redwood (Conservative) on Tuesday, 15 June 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 22 June 2004. It was answered by Kim Howells (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 June 2004 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Dept for Transport

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of road traffic accidents primarily caused by excessive speed in the last year for which figures are available. - Including figures.

Answer: Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the proportion of road traffic accidents primarily caused by excessive speed in the last year for which figures are available. [179487] Dr. Howells: Routine statistics do not record the primary cause of a road accident. However, under a pilot scheme 14 police forces have provided information on contributory factors to accidents. The latest year for which pilot data are available is 2002. Accidents for which "excessive speed" was deemed by the police to be one of the contributory factors, though not necessarily the primary factor, accounted for 13 per cent. of all injury road accidents recorded in the police areas taking part in the pilot scheme. The proportion of accidents where `excessive speed' is coded as a factor rises with the severity of the accident; it applied to 12 per cent. of slight accidents, 19 per cent. of serious accidents and 30 per cent. of fatal accidents in the pilot areas in 2002.

Secondary information