IAM RoadSmart calls for government road safety action
IAM RoadSmart is calling on the Chancellor to set aside funds in her Autumn Budget to introduce a number of road safety initiatives.
These include cancelling Insurance Premium Tax, freezing fuel duty, and introducing assessments for mature drivers.
The leading UK road safety charity has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to reduce Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) from 12% to zero for those who undertake additional driver training.
Average insurance premiums have risen to around £600, and more than £2,000 for under 25s, with new research finding an increase of 25% in the number of drivers aged 17-20 being caught driving without insurance between 2022-2023.
Insurance Premium Tax
IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes said: “This shows that these high premiums are becoming unaffordable particularly for those groups which will be disproportionately impacted. They could encourage young people to either break the law by driving uninsured, or give up on driving altogether. How can it be right that youngsters, often at the start of their careers and needing a vehicle to get to work, may be priced out of driving altogether?
“Furthermore, there is the human cost of road traffic collisions caused to survivors and their families, as well as the cost to the Treasury – £43bn per year. By encouraging drivers to upskill and save on their premiums, countless deaths and serious injuries will be prevented.”
Fuel duty
IAM RoadSmart has also called for a freeze to fuel duty, with its own research showing that the two biggest concerns for motorists are costs and road quality The charity calls on the Chancellor to maintain the current the 5p cut that was introduced in 2022, which has helped motorists save around £50 a year.
Lyes said: “Hard-done-by motorists will find any increase in fuel duty a bitter pill to swallow, given that they’re already being drained by hefty insurance premiums, not to mention higher repair costs after driving through the country’s crater-ridden roads.
“At the very least, if fuel duty is to increase, the Chancellor should ringfence this money to repair Britain’s crumbling road network. Not only will this save motorists money in repairs, it will more importantly save lives, especially for those travelling on two wheels where the impact of hitting a pothole is likely to be far more severe.”
Older drivers
Meanwhile, it has recommended introducing assessments for mature drivers after figures from the Department for Transport showed that the number of people that are killed or seriously injured increases over the age of 70, and accelerates when people reach 80. It believes an initial pilot for 100,000 drivers would cost £8.5m.
Lyes concluded: “We’re concerned there’s nothing formally in place to help older drivers who want to keep their driving in check, and moreover, no process for GPs to be able to refer an older driver who they have serious concerns over their ability to drive. The country’s population is ageing, so there will be demand.
“The modest initial cost could make a huge difference if it encourages otherwise unsafe drivers to stop driving. Likewise, if older drivers need reassurance that they are still fit to drive, this will give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal benefit.”
