RTCs involving Range Rovers 199/2026

FOI Reference: 199/2026

Request

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I am seeking anonymised statistical data relating to road traffic collisions involving Range Rover vehicles (model years 2012–2021) where vehicle failure or defect was identified as a contributing factor, specifically relating to front suspension components.

To assist your search, I understand that collision investigations typically record data via STATS19 reporting and may include contributory factors or vehicle defect indicators.

I would be grateful if you could provide the following information for the period 1 January 2012 to present:

1. Collision Records

The total number of recorded road traffic collisions involving:

• Range Rover vehicles (including Range Rover L405 and Range Rover Sport L494 models, where model detail is available)

Where:

• A vehicle defect or mechanical failure was recorded as a contributory factor; and/or
• The investigating officer recorded a failure relating to suspension, steering, wheel assembly, or hub components.

2. Defect Classification (Where Available)

For the above collisions, please provide anonymised breakdowns of:

• The number where a front suspension component was identified as failed or defective
• The number where a steering or hub/knuckle component was identified
• Whether the defect was considered:
• A primary cause
• A contributory factor
• Or discovered during post-collision mechanical examination

3. Mechanical Examination Data

Where vehicles underwent forensic vehicle examination:

• The number of cases where a fractured or failed front suspension component was recorded
• Whether the failure was considered:
• Pre-collision mechanical failure
• Collision-induced damage
• Undetermined

4. Injury Severity (High-Level Only)

For relevant cases, please provide anonymised totals of:

• Fatal collisions
• Serious injury collisions
• Slight injury collisions

Response

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dyfed Powys Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:   (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information you have requested. However, we are withholding the whole of the requested information since we consider that the Section 12(1) exemption the Cost of Compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit applies to it.

Section 12 (1) – The cost of compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit

Section 12(1) states: “…Section 1 (1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.”

The cost of providing you with the information requested in respect of your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the “appropriate level” as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. It is estimated that it would exceed 18 hours (i.e. minimum of 57 hours) to comply with this part of your request. The regulations can be located @ https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3244

The Freedom of Information department has been advised that the information in respect of part of Q1 and Q2 – Q4 your request is not held in an easily retrievable format. In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated would involve Dyfed Powys Police accessing and manually reviewing 343 Road Traffic Collision files, to establish if this information is recorded on the Case File.

It has also been established that it would take a minimum of 10 minutes to review and obtain the information for a single record in respect of your request. 

The process outlined results in the below time estimate:-

343 files x 10 minutes per file = 57 hours

Time estimate to complete task = 57 hours

In accordance therefore with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for the Whole of this request under Section 17(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that fact.

You may wish to refine and resubmit your request so that it reduces the time shown above to fall within the 18 hours, should you require any further advice in relation to this matter please don’t hesitate to contact the Freedom of Information Unit. Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the public authorities right to cite exemptions if relevant.

Although excess cost removes the forces obligations under the Freedom of Information Act to provide any further information, as a gesture of goodwill, I have provided information, relative to part of question 1 of your request which has been easily retrievable and outlined below. I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of your request.

Response to Q1 (Part of)

Between 1^st Jan 2012- 17^th February 2026 – 343 files have been identified as involving Range Rovers.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 20/02/2026)