The UK’s main highway security charity, IAM RoadSmart, is looking on the Chancellor to take steps to each saves lives and scale back the affect of highway site visitors collisions in her Autumn Funds. By incentivising the take-up of extra highway security programs by the tax system, it would additionally assist save motorists cash because the UK emerges from a cost-of-living disaster.
With the price of insurance coverage hitting report highs earlier this 12 months and being an enormous concern for drivers, significantly the under-25s, the charity recommends placing off Insurance coverage Premium Tax for many who undertake extra driver coaching.
To offer a lift to weak motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally desires the Chancellor to cut back VAT on motorbike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor may be tempted to extend gas responsibility, IAM RoadSmart urges her to provide motorists some respiration area by retaining ranges on the present 52.95p after a interval of report excessive gas 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 % to zero for many who undertake extra driver coaching.
The price of insurance coverage reached report highs earlier this 12 months, with the typical premium costing round £600. The common 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 mentioned: “This exhibits that these excessive premiums have gotten unaffordable significantly for these teams which will likely be disproportionately impacted. They might encourage younger individuals to both break the legislation by driving uninsured, or quit on driving altogether. How can it’s proper that children, usually initially of their careers and needing a car to get to work, could also be priced out of driving altogether.
“Moreover, there’s the human price of highway site visitors collisions brought on to survivors and their households, in addition to the price to the Treasury – £43bn per 12 months. By encouraging drivers to upskill and save on their premiums, numerous deaths and severe accidents will likely 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 weak highway customers. Bike helmets are thought to be PPE, so will not be topic to VAT. This modification in coverage will merely deliver air vests in keeping with many different types of PPE.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes mentioned: “Slashing VAT on motorbike air vests won’t solely be saving riders’ lives however may also get monetary savings by rising their uptake and decreasing the price to the emergency companies.”
Freeze gas responsibility
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits that the 2 greatest considerations for motorists are both price, or the state of the roads. The charity calls on the Chancellor to keep up the present the 5p minimize 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 highway community and filling in potholes.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes mentioned: “Exhausting-done-by motorists will discover any improve in gas responsibility a bitter tablet to swallow, provided that they’re already being drained by hefty insurance coverage premiums, to not point out greater restore prices after driving by the nation’s crater-ridden roads.
“On the very least, if gas responsibility is to extend, the Chancellor ought to ringfence this cash to restore Britain’s crumbling highway community. Not solely will this save motorists cash in repairs, it would extra importantly save lives, particularly for these travelling on two wheels the place the affect of hitting a pothole is prone to be way more extreme.”
Mature Driver Assessments
In line with the Division for Transport, the variety of individuals which might be 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 price of £8.5m to the federal government.
Nicholas Lyes, Director of Coverage and Requirements, mentioned it was significantly regarding provided that it’s occurring when the nation has an ageing variety of licence holders.
He mentioned: “We’re involved there’s nothing formally in place to assist older drivers who wish to hold their driving in test, and furthermore, no course of for GPs to have the ability to refer an older driver who they’ve severe considerations over their skill to drive. The nation’s inhabitants is ageing, so there will likely be demand.
“The modest preliminary price might 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, it will give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal profit.”
