To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy on safety on the A1 of the (a) frequency of motor vehicle accidents in the latest year-long period for which data is available, (b) proportion of journeys travelled by HGVs and (c) number of productivity hours lost due to motor vehicle accidents on the A1 between the M25 and the M62.
Answered on
24 November 2020
Safety is the Department and Highways England’s main priority on all sections of the Strategic Road Network (SRN), comprised of England’s motorways and principal A-roads, and this is addressed through public information campaigns and infrastructure solutions where necessary. No specific policy assessment has been undertaken on safety on the A1 as distinct from other roads.
The number of reported personal injury road accidents that included at least one motor vehicle in 2019 on the A1 and A1(M) was 802, with 326 being reported in the same year on the A1 and A1(M) between the M25 and M62. The proportion of journeys travelled by Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) on the A1 is not available. HGVs accounted for 11% of all motor vehicle traffic on the SRN in 2019, but this is not available to be broken down by road number. Data on productivity losses due to vehicle collisions is not routinely collected and monitored but is taken into account when assessing the need for specific policy responses such as infrastructure schemes.