Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February to Question 136599 on Road Traffic Offences: Merseyside, if she will hold discussions with Merseyside police on the prevention of hit-and-run offences.

Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. The Secretary of State has no plans to discuss the prevention of hit and run offences with Merseyside Police.

Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 there are requirements with which a driver must comply in the event of an accident involving injury to another person, or damage to another vehicle or certain animals, including dogs, or damage to property. The driver must stop and provide details to another person having reasonable cause to require them, or if he does not for any reason provide details must report the accident to the police and provide details within 24 hours.

Failure to stop after an accident and give details or report the accident carries a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and/or 6 months’ imprisonment, plus discretionary disqualification and obligatory endorsement of 5 to ten penalty points.

Vehicle related theft is down 42% since March 2010 according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.