1) Please can you send me details of all road accidents across Devon since 1st January 1980 that underpin the DCC policy against the installation of mirrors alongside the public highway.
In particular, please detail all accidents that have been attributed to:
– reflecting light and interfering with a driver’s vision
– reducing the ability to judge an oncoming vehicle’s speed
– creating an unreasonable dependence on the mirror as set out in your policy on
https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/make-a-request/mirrors-on-the-highway/
2) Please could you also send the corresponding information on accidents across Devon since 1980 that have been attributed to these causes but from the many privately-owned visibility mirrors that exist for road safety reasons across the county.
In response to questions 1 – 2, this information is not held by Devon County Council. Collision statistics do not record highway mirrors as a road safety factor in injury collisions. Furthermore, Devon County Council’s position regarding mirrors has never been based on local collision statistics.
Until 2016 mirrors were not permitted on the public highway by the Department of Transport unless specially authorised under exceptional circumstances. We do now have the local ability to provide mirrors but the Council’s stance, like most other local highways authorities has not really changed.
3) If no such data exists, please can you send me details of the decision making process and the documented risk assessment that led to the policy being implemented.
This information is not held by Devon County Council, the Council’s position is based on an advice note dating from 2003.
Some of the information in the document has been redacted. This information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Personal Data).
The Council cannot disclose personal information if releasing it would contravene any of the provisions in the UK General Data Protection Regulation. In this instance release of this information would contravene the first data protection principle and therefore the information is withheld.