Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on levels of (a) pedestrian and cyclist safety and (b) passenger safety of vehicle construction standards in the (i) US and (ii) UK.

The Department for Transport has considered the differences in the technical standards designed to provide protection for both vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, and vehicle occupants in the USA and the UK.

In the UK, new passenger cars and light goods vehicles must meet minimum levels of protection for pedestrian leg and head impacts, but there are no equivalent tests in the USA.

Occupant safety is more complex as there are several standards in both countries designed to improve safety for those inside vehicles. Research carried out by the European Union in preparation for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations suggests that occupant protection in both countries is broadly similar. However, differences in both the way vehicles are categorised and the make-up of the vehicle fleets make direct comparison difficult.