E-bikes that do not comply with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are motor vehicles and must therefore be registered, taxed and insured to be used on public roads. The rider must also wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence.

The police can seize e-bikes not properly registered as motor vehicles under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. In addition, in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 the Government has strengthened the powers for the police to seize vehicles used anti-socially by removing the need to provide a warning. These powers apply to e-bikes that have been registered as motor vehicles.

The Government plans to review the funding formula that it uses to distribute capital funding to local highways authorities to see whether it can be adjusted to consider, for example, the conditions that affect the wear and tear of local roads.

Highways maintenance block allocations have been made up to and including financial year 2029/30.

The Department has not yet set a date for the review. It will be important to ensure that the review takes place close to the point that allocations for 2030/31 are made to ensure evidence gathered during the review does not become out of date.

When conducting the review, the Department expects to engage with local highway authorities about any future changes to the allocation methodology to understand how any changes might impact on their services.

The Department has published advice for consumers on the safe use of legally compliant e-bikes. This guidance has recently been updated to refer to the industry-led "E-Bike Positive" campaign.

Where e-bikes have been modified to overcome the power and speed restrictions set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations, they are motor vehicles and must therefore be registered, taxed and insured. The rider must also wear a safety helmet and hold a driving licence. The Department has published further advice making this clear, and ultimately the police can seize such e-bikes where they are used on the road without being properly registered as motor vehicles.

My department has not made a specific assessment on the affordability of motor insurance premiums for younger drivers. However, in October 2024, we formed the cross-government taskforce on motor insurance, to fulfil the government’s commitment to tackling the soaring cost of motor insurance in the UK.  Though the taskforce has now concluded, the government will continue its work to deliver against the actions set out in the report.

Furthermore, data from the Association for British Insurers’ (ABI) for drivers shows average premiums fell across 2025 and the latest industry data for the second quarter of 2026 shows that premiums are stable. When adjusted for inflation, the average cost of motor insurance in the second quarter of 2026 was £14 lower than the average premium in the same quarter of 2025.

As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we consulted on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical driving test. This will allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers. If the number of collisions involving young and novice drivers decreases overall this may contribute to a reduction in insurance premiums for younger drivers.

My department has not made a specific assessment on the affordability of motor insurance premiums for younger drivers. However, in October 2024, we formed the cross-government taskforce on motor insurance, to fulfil the government’s commitment to tackling the soaring cost of motor insurance in the UK.  Though the taskforce has now concluded, the government will continue its work to deliver against the actions set out in the report.

Furthermore, data from the Association for British Insurers’ (ABI) for drivers shows average premiums fell across 2025 and the latest industry data for the second quarter of 2026 shows that premiums are stable. When adjusted for inflation, the average cost of motor insurance in the second quarter of 2026 was £14 lower than the average premium in the same quarter of 2025.

As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we consulted on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical driving test. This will allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers. If the number of collisions involving young and novice drivers decreases overall this may contribute to a reduction in insurance premiums for younger drivers.

My department has not made a specific assessment on the affordability of motor insurance premiums for younger drivers. However, in October 2024, we formed the cross-government taskforce on motor insurance, to fulfil the government’s commitment to tackling the soaring cost of motor insurance in the UK.  Though the taskforce has now concluded, the government will continue its work to deliver against the actions set out in the report.

Furthermore, data from the Association for British Insurers’ (ABI) for drivers shows average premiums fell across 2025 and the latest industry data for the second quarter of 2026 shows that premiums are stable. When adjusted for inflation, the average cost of motor insurance in the second quarter of 2026 was £14 lower than the average premium in the same quarter of 2025.

As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we consulted on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical driving test. This will allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers. If the number of collisions involving young and novice drivers decreases overall this may contribute to a reduction in insurance premiums for younger drivers.

The table below provides updated data, where possible, for the recruitment campaigns listed in the Answer, 21 April 2026, to Question 124880. This data is again broken down by the total completed applications received, the number of applicants invited to interview, the number of applicants invited to the driving assessment stage, applicants recruited and placed on a training course and how many applicants successfully passed training.

[note 1] - No of applicants invited to interview and driving assessment are the same as this was an assessment centre.

[note 2] – The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continue to recruit from merit lists for these live recruitment campaigns. The final numbers for the recruitment campaigns shown are therefore not yet known.

DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners (DE). DE numbers are at their highest level since November 2017.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The information requested is not readily available. Officials from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will write to the honourable member when the information requested has been extracted, assured and reviewed.

The Department has not made a specific assessment on the impact of the cost of insurance for young drivers on the number of uninsured driving convictions.

The Department has not made a specific estimate on the cost of insurance for young drivers with these devices fitted to their cars. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. Some insurers have introduced telematics or in-car black boxes to allow better risk-based pricing of insurance, especially for new or young drivers. It can help reduce insurance premiums if drivers show good driving behaviour.

The Department has not made a specific assessment on the impact of the cost of insurance for young drivers on the number of uninsured driving convictions.

The Department has not made a specific estimate on the cost of insurance for young drivers with these devices fitted to their cars. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market. Some insurers have introduced telematics or in-car black boxes to allow better risk-based pricing of insurance, especially for new or young drivers. It can help reduce insurance premiums if drivers show good driving behaviour.

Decisions about local enforcement and partnership working are operational matters for Chief Constables and local authorities, reflecting local circumstances. The Government supports this work through the powers available to the police and local authorities and through action to prevent unsafe and illegal e-bikes entering the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards works with local authority Trading Standards services to identify and remove unsafe products.

The Department has completed engagement with the College of Optometrists on headlamp dazzle, and its input helped to better understand some of the issues and inform the second phase of the vehicle lighting glare research. The College raised concerns about the effects of vehicle lighting glare on visual health and road visibility, including for wearers of spectacles and other eyewear, and highlighted the potential relevance of luminance, lens coatings and other optical treatments in glare mitigation.

Statistics on drivers killed in road collisions with toxicology results is based on data reported to police using the STATS19 system and data that is received by the Department from coroners and procurators’ fiscal. The latest year for which coroner and procurators’ fiscal data is available is 2024.

The number of a) drivers or riders killed in road collisions, in Great Britain, where toxicology results were available for alcohol or drugs and;

the proportion of all deceased drivers or riders this represents, for each of the last 10 years is provided in the table below.

Note: Pedal cycle riders and horse riders have been filtered out of the data. This is because the current prescribed alcohol and drug limits apply only to drivers of motor vehicles. This only includes drivers or riders aged 16 or above.

Information on (b) the number of killed drivers and riders with toxicology available for alcohol and;

c) the number with toxicology available for drugs area available on GOV.uk in tables 1 and 2 of the report on “Drugs in reported road fatalities in Great Britain”: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/developing-drug-driving-statistics

Ministers have previously written to food delivery platforms on this matter, and those letters are available in the Library of the House.

In addition, the Department has commissioned research on the road behaviours of food delivery riders, the level of illegal e-bike usage and the extent to which the business practices of food delivery platforms may influence this. The Department’s researchers are currently in contact with food delivery platforms to inform this work, which is expected to conclude by March 2027, and we will publish the findings from it.

The Department’s advice for consumers is clear that e-bikes that do not comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are classed as motor vehicles and must be registered, taxed and insured to be legally used on the roads.

The police have existing powers to seize these e-bikes, where they have not been properly registered as motor vehicles, under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 strengthened police powers so that they will no longer be required to provide a warning before seizing any vehicle where it is used anti-socially. This includes faster and more powerful e-bikes that have been properly registered as motor vehicles.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is considering options to ensure a more robust, auditable Register of Number Plate Supplier process which would enable tighter checks on number plate suppliers and the plates they supply. Options being considered include reviewing fees, scheme structure, resources and funding.

As part of its review of motoring offences, the Department for Transport has also sought views on the introduction of penalty points and vehicle seizure for the offence of being in charge of a motor vehicle with an incorrect, altered or false number plate. The consultation closed on 11 May and responses are being considered.

The total number of reported traffic collisions in Great Britain, as reported by the police using the STATS19 system, with a contributory or road safety factor attributed to a minibus driver, broken down by year, are shown in the table below. These figures include only collisions where police attended the scene and at least one factor was recorded.

An assessment of the potential effect of construction traffic, including Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), on the local road network was undertaken as part of the Development Consent Order application for the Lower Thames Crossing. This is set out in Chapter 8 of the project's Transport Assessment.

To mitigate impacts on local roads, an offline haul road network is being implemented to reduce the level of construction traffic. Construction traffic is managed through a suite of control documents, and detailed plans for the works underway have been signed off by the Secretary of State following consultation with relevant stakeholders, including Thurrock Council.