Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of her Department’s guidance on following distances.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Rule 126 of The Highway Code includes guidance on stopping distances and states that drivers and riders ‘should leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front so that you can pull up safely if it suddenly slows down or stops’ and ‘…never to get closer than the overall stopping distances’ set out on pages 52 and 53 of the code. Tailgating can be considered careless driving, which is a fixed penalty offence.
All road users are required to comply with road traffic law. If road users do not adopt a responsible attitude or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment, or causes nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences that can make them liable for prosecution.
Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.
In addition to the Highway Code, National Highways uses Variable Message Signs on motorways to encourage appropriate lane discipline. The Government’s THINK! road safety campaign also provides information to road users to encourage safer behaviour. Enforcement of road traffic law is a matter for the police.
In June 2025, National Highways ran a communications campaign on this issue, using media, digital and social media. The aim was to align the uncomfortable feeling of being followed too closely in everyday life with the similar feelings this evokes when being tailgated on a high-speed road, namely discomfort and anxiety.
Following the success of that campaign, and the genuine media interest in this topic, National Highways is planning a new communications campaign to launch next month. This low / no cost campaign moment will educate drivers on the dangers of tailgating and aim to change behaviour by looking at driving etiquette and evoking England’s love for manners and respect.
The campaign will launch w/c 23rd February across owned and earned media channels. It will involve:
National Highways adheres to the Government Communication Service evaluation framework and will be measuring the success of this campaign wave through a series of measures, including social listening tools and Media Equivalent Value.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues tp help reduce the prevalence of phone use whilst driving.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government takes road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The use of mobile phones while driving is unacceptable, and there are already tough penalties for those committing an offence.
We published our Road Safety Strategy on 07 January setting out our plans to improve the safety of our roads. As part of this we are reviewing the motoring offences and published a consultation, exploring areas of particular concern including drink and drug driving.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a waterbourne taxi passenger service across the Solent.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has made no assessment. We recognise the benefits of cross Solent services, such as the Gosport Ferry, particularly in relation to accessing jobs and recreational opportunities. However, these services operate in a commercial environment without any intervention from the Government.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance she provides to local transport authorities on creating Local Transport Plans.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government is aware that Local Transport Plan Guidance hasn’t been updated in over a decade. We are currently developing new guidance for Local Transport Authorities in line with our wider priorities. The Government intends to publish updated Local Transport Plan guidance in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of driving tests within (a) half an hour, (b) an hour and (c) two hours travel of the Gosport peninsula.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA’s) main priority is to reduce car practical driving test waiting times, whilst upholding road safety standards.
As of 1 September 2025, there were 640,907 car practical driving tests booked, and 30,339 driving tests available within the 24-week booking window.
The table below shows the current average waiting time and number of tests available at the driving test centres within up to two hours traveling distance from the Gosport peninsula.
Driving test centre (DTC) | Travelling distance from the Gosport peninsula | Average car practical driving test waiting time (August 24) | Booked tests (As of 01/09/2025) | Tests available in 24 week booking window (As of 01/09/2025) |
Lee On Solent | Within half an hour | 24 | 2029 | 92 |
Portsmouth | Within half an hour | 24 | 4801 | 202 |
Chichester | Within an hour | 24 | 1556 | 60 |
Southampton (Maybush) | Within an hour | 24 | 3327 | 205 |
Winchester | Within an hour | 24 | 1270 | 51 |
Basingstoke | Within two hours | 11.5 | 1764 | 152 |
Burgess Hill | Within two hours | 24 | 3641 | 183 |
Crawley | Within two hours | 24 | 3905 | 211 |
Dorchester | Within two hours | 24 | 1103 | 83 |
Farnborough | Within two hours | 24 | 3188 | 163 |
Greenham | Within two hours | 24 | 807 | 30 |
Guildford | Within two hours | 15.3 | 777 | 28 |
Newport (Isle of Wight) | Within two hours | 24 | 1346 | 109 |
Oxford (Cowley) | Within two hours | 24 | 1324 | 66 |
Poole | Within two hours | 24 | 3380 | 234 |
Reading | Within two hours | 24 | 1918 | 49 |
Salisbury | Within two hours | 24 | 1882 | 114 |
Swindon | Within two hours | 24 | 4247 | 248 |
Trowbridge | Within two hours | 5.3 (Outstation) | 543 | 15 |
Worthing | Within two hours | 24 | 1598 | 82 |
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to mobility scooter users who use public roads.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department has developed a comprehensive guide for users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, including legal requirements and relevant Highway Code information. This is available online at www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-on-the-road-some-guidance-for-users
Further information about the classes of mobility scooters and the requirements to use them can be found online at www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules/classes.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of casualties involving mobility scooters.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The table below shows the number of casualties, split by casualty severity, that resulted from road injury collisions involving at least one mobility scooter in Great Britain, for the most recent ten-year period that data is available for.
It should be noted that these figures include all casualties from collisions involving at least one mobility scooter. The casualties may be the mobility scooter users themselves, other road users, or pedestrians. There may also be other vehicles involved in the collision.
Year | Killed | Seriously Injured | Slightly Injured |
2014 | 9 | 60 | 149 |
2015 | 8 | 60 | 159 |
2016 | 14 | 68 | 185 |
2017 | 5 | 59 | 182 |
2018 | 13 | 74 | 172 |
2019 | 12 | 58 | 192 |
2020 | 2 | 55 | 139 |
2021 | 8 | 84 | 219 |
2022 | 9 | 101 | 239 |
2023 | 17 | 94 | 229 |
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were injured in collisions with mobility scooters in 2024.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Figures on the number of collisions involving mobility scooters for 2024 are not yet available as these statistics have not yet been published. These figures will be available following the publication of “Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2024” in September 2025.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to include mobility scooters within the scope of dangerous (a) driving and (b) cycling legislation.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
While we keep the scope of the dangerous driving and cycling legislation under review, we do not currently have any plans to extend this to mobility scooters.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of the Safer Streets for All report by Living Streets and the Bikeability Trust, published on 19 May 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department welcomes the findings of this report and will consider its recommendations carefully as we develop our future plans for active travel and road safety.