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Government should take the lead on 21st century road safety technology |
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Safer Streets Coalition Press Release 8th March 2005
Rob Marris MP (Labour, Wolverhampton South West) today proposes an amendment to the Road Safety Bill that would have a wide range of benefits for road safety (1). The amendment would also lead to greater justice in charging and sentencing in cases where road crashes result in death and injury.
Electronic ‘black boxes’ are increasingly common in many vehicles, being used to deploy air bags and control advanced braking systems (ABS). This technology also records the way in which a vehicle was driven - for example, its speed at impact.
Mr. Marris has backed a Safer Streets Coalition (2) call for this technology to be developed to aid emergency services, crash investigators, the courts and road safety researchers.
The Marris amendment on "Vehicle Data Recording Devices" (3) would ensure that data on how a vehicle was driven in the lead up to a crash which causes injury, could be accessed, but only under very strict conditions.
At present there is no standard format to the increasing amount of IT data used in cars. Meanwhile, ‘traditional’ forms of evidence for crash investigators such as tyre skid marks are disappearing as vehicle safety systems become increasingly effective and sophisticated. For example, ABS braking means that wheels do not lock, so there are no tyre marks for the police to measure after an accident.
The amendment would give the Secretary of State powers to specify the type of data recorded, the classes of vehicles to which the regulations would apply, the legal authorisation for access to the data and the purposes to which it could be put.
A standard data format and a proper legal framework for accessing the data would benefit emergency service responses and crash investigation for criminal or civil proceedings.
The data would improve the often sketchy evidence on the standard of driving presented to the courts and increase justice in charging and sentencing.
The aggregated data could be used to improve the crash worthiness of vehicles. It would improve the evidence base for road safety intervention. It would even help to prevent crashes.
There is already evidence from a series of studies that when drivers know that black box data can be read, they become more responsible, cutting crashes by up to 25%.
Rob Marris said:
‘This technology is already installed in many vehicles around the world, including here in the UK. It is already used in North America for crash investigations and prosecutions. It's time that we started to use this existing technology to save lives here in the UK.’
Paige Mitchell, co-ordinator of the Slower Speeds Initiative said:
‘This amendment would provide evidence to settle some of the controversy over the causes of road crashes. But more importantly, by improving driver behaviour it will help to prevent many crashes from occurring in the first place.’
Kevin Clinton, RoSPA’s Road Safety Advisor said
‘Black box technology is increasingly used in motor vehicles. It offers excellent opportunities to improve driving standards, reduce crashes, improve emergency responses, establish crash causes and identify improvements in vehicle design. There are so many potential benefits that it's essential this technology is used as effectively as possible.’
ENDS
Notes for Editors
1. The Road Safety Bill will be debated in Parliament today. Rob Marris will speak to the amendment if Parliamentary time allows.
2. The Safer Streets Coalition represents 29 organisations concerned with social justice, transport and the environment: Age Concern, Children’s Play Council, Civic Trust, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Child Accident Prevention Trust, CTC (the national cyclists’ organisation), Cycle Training UK, Environmental Transport Association, Friends of the Earth, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Help the Aged, Institution of Civil Engineers, JMU Access Partnership and the Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People, Living Streets, London Cycling Campaign, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, National Federation of Women’s Institutes, National Heart Forum, Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, Ramblers' Association, RoadPeace, RNIB, RNID, ROSPA, The Slower Speeds Initiative, Sustrans, Transport 2000, Whitby Bird & Partners Engineers. Their briefing, ROAD SAFETY NEEDS A NEW VISION: A briefing on the Road Safety Bill 2004 from the Safer Streets Coalition December 2004 can be accessed here.
3. The amendment reads:
Rob Marris
NC17
To move the following Clause:—
'(1) A Vehicle Data Recording Device ("VDRD") is a device which records such data relating to the progress and manner of driving of a motor vehicle as the Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe.
(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations designate a class or classes of motor vehicles which shall be fitted with a VDRD.
(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe—
(a) the data which a VDRD must record, and how and by whom and for how long such data must be retained; and
(b) the technical specifications of a VDRD.
(4) Before the Secretary of State makes regulations under subsections (1) to (3), he shall consult with the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders and such other organisations as he considers appropriate.
(5) The power to make regulations under this section is exercisable by statutory instrument; and a statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(6) A person commits an offence if he uses a motor vehicle of a class which the Secretary of State has, by regulations made under subsection (3) designated as a class of vehicle to which a VDRD must be fitted, and that person knows, or has reasonable grounds to believe, that the motor vehicle—
(a) does not have a VDRD fitted; or
(b) has a defective VDRD fitted.
(7) A person committs an offence if he knowingly causes or permits another person to use a motor vehicle of a class which the Secretary of State has, by regulations made under subsection (3), designated as a class of vehicle to which a VDRD must be fitted, and knows or has reasonable grounds to believe that the motor vehicle—
(a) does not have a VDRD fitted, or
(b) has a defecetive VDRD fitted.
(8) A person who commits an offence under subsections (6) or (7) shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding Level 4 on the standard scale.
(9) A person who does anything with the intention of preventing data being recorded or retained by VDRD is guilty of an offence, unless the motor vehicle in which that VDRD was fitted has been destroyed and he knows that there are no court proceedings likely to be started or pursued.
(10) A person who commits an offence under subsection (9) shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding Level 4 on the standard scale.
(11) Subsections (6) and (7) shall not come into effect until regulations made under subsections 1 to 3 have come into effect.
(12) Data recorded or retained by a VDRD fitted to a vehicle involved in a road traffic incident in which an injury occurs may be used only—
(a) for the purposes of bona fide research,
(b) by the police or other lawful authorities when investigating the causes of any such accident, or
(c) in connection with the bringing of court proceedings (whether criminal or civil) as a result of any such accident, whether or not any such proceedings are in the event commenced, but shall not be used for any other purpose.'
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