The provision of personal injury road accident data (STATS19) is an extensive exercise, which involves the close co-operation of central and local government, and local police forces. It is steered by the Standing Committee on Road Accident Statistics whose members represent all three bodies. Local police forces are responsible for collecting STATS19 data and, in some cases jointly with local authorities, for validating and reporting data to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), the Scottish Executive or the National Assembly for Wales. All regular surveys requiring the provision of data by businesses and local authorities are reviewed every five years. The collection of accident data was reviewed in 1997. The 1997 review of road accident data paid particular attention to ideas for change. These changes have made it necessary to alter some of the tables in this issue of Road Accidents Great Britain: The Casualty Report. The most significant change is to vehicle types and the consequent identification of casualty road user types. The changes are: (1) the regrouping of the two wheeled vehicles class as mopeds, motor cycles engine capacity 125cc and under, and motor cycles over 125cc; (2) no longer collecting separate data on three wheeled cars; (3) separately identifying minibuses from motor caravans; (4) the "other motor vehicle" category now includes motor caravans, electric or petrol driven invalid vehicles and motorised wheelchairs; (5) the light and heavy goods vehicle categories are replaced with 3 categories: (i) 3.5 tonnes maximum gross weight and under; (ii) over 3.5t under 7.5t mgw; (iii) 7.5t mgw and over; the following vehicle types are separately identified: ridden horse, agricultural vehicles, tram or light rail.
Samenvatting