Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department is undertaking on the road safety effects of advanced driver assistance systems; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect in the UK of decisions to deploy such systems in commercial and public sector fleets made in other countries.

There is currently no research being undertaken on the road safety effects of advanced driver assistance systems. However, the Department for Transport has recently concluded a feasibility study on heavy vehicle platooning on the UK trunk road network using vehicles with partial automation, but with drivers in each vehicle. Decisions on next steps are expected by the autumn 2014.

The Department has not made any assessment of the impact of decisions by other administrations with respect to the deployment of technology in specific fleets. Motor manufacturers have been delivering innovative safety improvements to their vehicles for many years and these have made a significant contribution to the reduction in road casualties in Great Britain where road deaths are now at their lowest level since national records began in 1926.

The Department’s road accident investigation programme is designed to capture the effects of new technology on vehicle collisions and the data collected are used widely to quantify the achieved safety benefits.