Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will commission a report on the effect of driving with impaired vision on the safety of motorcyclists.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department has no current plans to commission a report on the effect of driving with impaired vision on the safety of motorcyclists.
All drivers and riders must be able to meet the required visual acuity and visual field standards, which includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres. Drivers are also legally responsible for notifying the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at any time of a change in their health or vision which may affect their ability to meet the appropriate standards.
The Government fully supports the NHS’s recommendation that adults should have their eyes tested every two years. The DVLA has changed its driving licence application forms to highlight the importance of having regular eyesight tests. The photo card driving licence renewal letter that the DVLA sends to drivers has also been amended to include this important message.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's strategy is on (a) improving road safety and (b) decreasing motorcycle accident rates relating to drivers' impaired vision.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The British Road Safety Statement sets out the Government’s commitment to improve road safety and reduce the number of people killed or injured on the roads every year.
All drivers and riders must be able to meet the required visual acuity and visual field standards, which includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres. Drivers are also legally responsible for notifying the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at any time of a change in their health or vision which may affect their ability to meet the appropriate standards.
The government fully supports the NHS’s recommendation that adults should have their eyes tested every two years. The DVLA has changed its driving licence application forms to highlight the importance of having regular eyesight tests. The photocard driving licence renewal letter the DVLA sends to drivers has also been amended to include this important message.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department’s “British Road Safety Statement” published in December 2015 sets out the Government’s commitment to actions that do support the UN Decade for Road Safety. This includes measures to improve safety and reduce deaths for vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. It also includes enhancing road infrastructure and encouraging improved learning and road behaviour. There are also actions on tackling mobile phone use whilst driving.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will commission an independent inquiry into aerotoxic syndrome.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Maintaining the safety record of UK aviation is something we take very seriously. That is why concerns raised about cabin air have been investigated at length over a number of years.
Following a recommendation in 2007 by the Committee on Toxicity (COT) – an independent committee of toxicology experts – the Department commissioned a series of scientific studies as part of a research programme into cabin air. The principal research study, carried out by Cranfield University, was published in 2011 and found that, with respect to the conditions of flight experienced during the cabin air sampling, there was no evidence for pollutants occurring at levels exceeding health and safety standards and guidelines. The Department for Transport currently has no plans to launch another independent inquiry into this matter.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that new standards within the updated driving examination meet health and safety requirements for (a) the applicant, (b) the driving instructor and (c) other road users.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) introduced the new practical driving test on 4 December 2017. The new elements of the test were trialled extensively.
The DVSA carried out a risk assessment of the new test in July 2017 and conducted further evaluations in September 2017, which did not identify any unacceptable risk.
It also commissioned an independent assessment of the test from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The RoSPA report concluded that all new parts of the driving test were low risk.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of ANPR equipment to monitor vehicle tax in rural areas.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) uses its own ANPR fleet to identify non-compliant vehicles in locations throughout the United Kingdom. The DVLA’s wheelclamping contractor also provides ANPR services which provide geographic coverage across every district in the UK. ANPR equipment is just one of a range of measures the DVLA utilise to tackle vehicle excise duty evasion.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Glasgow bin lorry crash of 22 December 2014, if he will take steps to undertaken a consultation on (a) how to ensure the completeness and accuracy of information available to the DVLA for the purposes of making fitness to drive licensing decisions and (b) increasing the penalties and altering the mode of prosecution for contravention of section 94 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The UK’s roads are among the safest in the world and there is no evidence to suggest that there is a widespread road safety risk relating to people driving inappropriately due to a notifiable medical condition. The majority of individuals notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of medical conditions as they are required to. The DVLA also accepts notifications from the police and health care professionals. The Government therefore has no plans to carry out a formal consultation as suggested.
The processes for notifying a medical condition to the DVLA are kept under review. Potential improvements to processes are fully explored and implemented, where appropriate. The DVLA has made improvements to raise awareness of the importance of notifying a medical condition which may affect fitness to drive. Officials have worked closely with doctors and other medical professionals to publish revised guidance. The DVLA has also introduced an electronic service which allows drivers to notify certain medical conditions online. Letters to customers and medical professionals have been improved, helping to ensure that the DVLA receives the information it needs as quickly as possible.
The Government believes that there are already sufficient powers available to the relevant prosecution authorities.