The UK’s main street security charity, IAM RoadSmart, is looking on the Chancellor to take steps to each saves lives and cut back the affect of street site visitors collisions in her Autumn Finances. By incentivising the take-up of further street security programs by the tax system, it’s going to additionally assist save motorists cash because the UK emerges from a cost-of-living disaster.
With the price of insurance coverage hitting document highs earlier this 12 months and being an enormous concern for drivers, significantly the under-25s, the charity recommends hanging off Insurance coverage Premium Tax for individuals who undertake further driver coaching.
To offer a lift to susceptible motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally needs the Chancellor to cut back VAT on motorbike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor may be tempted to extend gasoline responsibility, IAM RoadSmart urges her to provide motorists some respiration area by retaining ranges on the present 52.95p after a interval of document excessive gasoline costs during the last two years.
Lastly, with an ageing inhabitants, the charity calls on the Treasury to allocate funding to permit GPs to prescribe mature driver assessments, stopping deaths involving aged drivers.
Cancel Insurance coverage Premium Tax
IAM RoadSmart is looking on the federal government to cut back Insurance coverage Premium Tax (IPT) from 12 p.c to zero for individuals who undertake further driver coaching.
The price of insurance coverage reached document highs earlier this 12 months, with the common premium costing round £600. The typical premium for underneath 25s is now greater than £2,000.
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits a rise of 25% within the variety of drivers aged 17-20 being caught driving with out insurance coverage between 2022-2023.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes stated: “This exhibits that these excessive premiums have gotten unaffordable significantly for these teams which might be disproportionately impacted. They might encourage younger individuals to both break the legislation by driving uninsured, or surrender on driving altogether. How can it’s proper that children, usually initially of their careers and needing a automobile to get to work, could also be priced out of driving altogether.
“Moreover, there may be the human price of street site visitors collisions brought on to survivors and their households, in addition to the fee to the Treasury – £43bn per 12 months. By encouraging drivers to upskill and save on their premiums, numerous deaths and severe accidents might be prevented.”
Cut back VAT on life-saving motorbike air vests
Motorcyclists make up round 3% of all site visitors however characterize 19% of all fatalities, making them essentially the most susceptible street customers. Motorbike helmets are thought to be PPE, so are usually not topic to VAT. This alteration in coverage will merely convey air vests in keeping with many different types of PPE.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes stated: “Slashing VAT on motorbike air vests is not going to solely be saving riders’ lives however may even lower your expenses by rising their uptake and lowering the fee to the emergency providers.”
Freeze gasoline responsibility
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits that the 2 largest issues for motorists are both price, or the state of the roads. The charity calls on the Chancellor to keep up the present the 5p reduce that was launched in 2022, which has helped motorists save round £50 a 12 months. If the speed is elevated, this must be partially ringfenced into repairing Britain’s crumbling street community and filling in potholes.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes stated: “Arduous-done-by motorists will discover any improve in gasoline responsibility a bitter tablet to swallow, on condition that they’re already being drained by hefty insurance coverage premiums, to not point out larger restore prices after driving by the nation’s crater-ridden roads.
“On the very least, if gasoline responsibility is to extend, the Chancellor ought to ringfence this cash to restore Britain’s crumbling street community. Not solely will this save motorists cash in repairs, it’s going to extra importantly save lives, particularly for these travelling on two wheels the place the affect of hitting a pothole is more likely to be much more extreme.”
Mature Driver Assessments
In response to the Division for Transport, the variety of individuals which are killed or critically injured will increase over the age of 70. This accelerates when individuals attain 80.
The price of a standardised mature driver evaluation is £85. An preliminary pilot is advisable for as much as 100,000 drivers, at a value of £8.5m to the federal government.
Nicholas Lyes, Director of Coverage and Requirements, stated it was significantly regarding on condition that it’s taking place when the nation has an ageing variety of licence holders.
He stated: “We’re involved there’s nothing formally in place to assist older drivers who wish to maintain their driving in examine, and furthermore, no course of for GPs to have the ability to refer an older driver who they’ve severe issues over their skill to drive. The nation’s inhabitants is ageing, so there might be demand.
“The modest preliminary price may make an enormous distinction if it encourages in any other case unsafe drivers to cease driving. Likewise, if older drivers want reassurance that they’re nonetheless match to drive, this may give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal profit.”
