To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many motorway and trunk road cross-over accidents have occurred in the past five years involving the rupture or crossing of safety barriers; and what form of construction was used for those road barriers. [17171]
The total number of accidents involving rupture or crossing of safety barriers on motorways and trunk roads is not known. However, the numbers of injury accidents which involved one or more vehicles striking or crossing the central safety barrier are as shown below. No information is available regarding the form of construction of the barriers involved in these accidents.
| Injury accidents on motorways and trunk roads in Great Britain | |||||
| Year of Accident | |||||
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| One or more vehicles hit central safety barrier | 1,388 | 1,490 | 1,594 | 1,621 | 1,736 |
| One or more vehicles crossed central reservation | 230 | 182 | 188 | 171 | 156 |
| One or more vehicles hit central safety barrier and crossed the central reservation. | 46 | 57 | 56 | 64 | 61 |
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many drivers have (a) been involved in and (b) suffered (i) serious injury and (ii) death from road traffic accidents within 12 months of passing their test in each of the last five years. [17635]
The information is not available in the form requested. However, it is estimated that: