Extract from Welsh Assembly questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport - Nov 28

Russell George AM: There are concerns, Cabinet Secretary, that electric vehicles could cause more accidents on our roads due to being so quiet. Do you think there is a need for a revision in the highway code in this area?

Ken Skates AM (Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport): I think there possibly is a need for revision, and I think manufacturers themselves are rightly looking at ways, because of the lack of sound, of course—and a lot of pedestrians, particularly pedestrians who will perhaps be using their phones, inappropriately it has to be said, because we should all pay due attention to what's happening around us when we're walking on the roadside—. Manufacturers are taking the issue seriously of the lack of noise emitted from electric vehicles, and, working through the Wales Automotive Forum, I'm keen to make sure that, as we see the number of electric vehicles rolled out on Welsh roads, they're rolled out in a way that ensures that passenger and pedestrian safety is maximised, and that includes, of course, cyclists.