The UK’s main highway security charity, IAM RoadSmart, is looking on the Chancellor to take steps to each saves lives and cut back the impression of highway visitors collisions in her Autumn Funds. By incentivising the take-up of extra highway security programs by way of the tax system, it can additionally assist save motorists cash because the UK emerges from a cost-of-living disaster.
With the price of insurance coverage hitting file highs earlier this 12 months and being an enormous concern for drivers, significantly the under-25s, the charity recommends putting off Insurance coverage Premium Tax for individuals who undertake extra driver coaching.
To supply a lift to susceptible motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally needs the Chancellor to cut back VAT on motorbike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor is likely to be tempted to extend gasoline responsibility, IAM RoadSmart urges her to present motorists some respiratory house by retaining ranges on the present 52.95p after a interval of file 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 extra driver coaching.
The price of insurance coverage reached file highs earlier this 12 months, with the common premium costing round £600. The common premium for below 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 will probably be disproportionately impacted. They may encourage younger folks to both break the regulation by driving uninsured, or quit on driving altogether. How can or not it’s proper that kids, typically at the beginning of their careers and needing a car to get to work, could also be priced out of driving altogether.
“Moreover, there’s the human value of highway visitors collisions prompted 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 critical accidents will probably be prevented.”
Scale back VAT on life-saving motorbike air vests
Motorcyclists make up round 3% of all visitors however characterize 19% of all fatalities, making them probably the most susceptible highway customers. Motorbike helmets are thought to be PPE, so will not be topic to VAT. This variation in coverage will merely carry air vests in step 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 will even lower your expenses by rising their uptake and decreasing the fee to the emergency companies.”
Freeze gasoline responsibility
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits that the 2 greatest considerations for motorists are both value, 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 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 greater restore prices after driving by way of 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 highway community. Not solely will this save motorists cash in repairs, it can extra importantly save lives, particularly for these travelling on two wheels the place the impression of hitting a pothole is more likely to be way more extreme.”
Mature Driver Assessments
Based on the Division for Transport, the variety of folks which can be killed or significantly injured will increase over the age of 70. This accelerates when folks attain 80.
The price of a standardised mature driver evaluation is £85. An preliminary pilot is really useful for as much as 100,000 drivers, at a price of £8.5m to the federal government.
Nicholas Lyes, Director of Coverage and Requirements, stated it was significantly regarding on condition that it’s occurring 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 test, and furthermore, no course of for GPs to have the ability to refer an older driver who they’ve critical considerations over their skill to drive. The nation’s inhabitants is ageing, so there will probably be demand.
“The modest preliminary value 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, this may give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal profit.”
