THE Department for Transport plans research on in-car fatalities later this year.

Attendees at the meeting heard that data would be collected from coroners, hospitals and the Department of Health to look at the reasons why people die in car accidents.

Kate McMahon, of the Department for Transport’s Road Safety division, said seat belt use would be just one of the areas studied.

Transport Minister David Jamieson asked the group whether more information was needed on how people are treated at the scene of an accident and the time taken to get them to hospitals, particularly in rural areas.

The issue of drink-driving was also covered, with Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents, voicing concern that the Government had no plans to lower the drink-drive limit and that police do not have ‘unfettered discretion’ to stop motorists for breath tests. Jamieson said most people involved in drink-driving accidents were well over the limit and would ‘totally ignore’ any limit.

Richard Allsop, of University College London, agreed with Jamieson that most drink-drivers were well above the limit but suggested that lowering blood alcohol levels could save 50 lives a year.