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Road Safety Bill [HL]

I support the concerns of my noble friend on the Front Bench. Often vehicle condition is a matter of opinion and not necessarily a matter of fact. For example, some of the older vehicles that I operate have very heavy steering. However, if an examiner has no experience of such an old vehicle, he will think that it is in poor condition when it is not. Perhaps the examiner’s judgment is poor. The person who receives a fixed penalty may decide to pay up as that is easier when in fact he is being slightly unfairly dealt with. It is also important to remember that very few accidents are caused primarily by vehicle condition. They are nearly always caused primarily by driver error. However, it is still important to ensure that vehicles are in good condition. My final observation is that I have much more confidence in VOSA’s vehicle examiners than in London parking attendants.