Asked by: Richard Graham (Conservative - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a charge of killing or injuring someone through a hit and run.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
We do not believe it is necessary to create a specific offence of killing or injuring someone during a hit and run incident. This is because a range of offences and penalties already exist to deal with offences committed on the roads and this can include manslaughter in appropriate cases. The offence of causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. In 2012 the Government also introduced a new offence of causing serious injury through dangerous driving which carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment.
Asked by: Richard Graham (Conservative - Gloucester)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many recorded hit and run incidents involving (a) injury and (b) death there have been in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The numbers of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one hit and run driver by accident severity for the years 2009 to 2013 are shown in the table below.
Number of reported personal injury accidents involving at least one hit and run driver, by severity: GB, 2009-2013
| Number of accidents involving at least one hit and run driver | ||||
| Fatal | Serious | Slight | Total | |
| 2009 | 78 | 1,569 | 15,382 | 17,029 |
| 2010 | 57 | 1,465 | 14,879 | 16,401 |
| 2011 | 73 | 1,610 | 15,160 | 16,843 |
| 2012 | 75 | 1,579 | 14,008 | 15,662 |
| 2013 | 57 | 1,448 | 13,885 | 15,390 |