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Vehicle Safety

Volume 455: debated on Tuesday 9 January 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of road traffic accidents which were caused by mechanical faults in each of the last three years for which figures are available. (112771)

The number of personal injury road accidents in which a ‘vehicle defect’ was a contributory factor reported by the attending police officer, are given in the following table:

Data prior to 2005 are not available. Information on damage only accidents is not collected.

Number of accidents where a “vehicle defect” was reported as a contributory factor: GB 2005

Contributory factor

1Number of accidents

Tyres illegal, defective or under inflated

1,128

Defective lights or indicators

282

Defective brakes

934

Defective steering or suspension

338

Defective or missing mirrors

19

Overloaded or poorly loaded vehicle or trailer

369

Any vehicle defects2

2,937

1 Only includes accidents where a police officer attended the scene

2 Does not add up to the sum of the factors above as an accident may have more than one factor

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on numbers of accidents involving motorcycles of mandatory daytime running lights for all vehicles; and if he will make a statement. (112784)

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the effect of daytime running lights on motorcycle accident numbers.

However, we recently asked TRL Ltd. to review the daytime running light study carried out by the European Commission. Their review highlighted several issues including a potential reduction in the conspicuity of motorcycles.

We have raised these concerns with the European Commission and will continue to oppose mandatory daytime headlamp use.