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 impression of highway visitors collisions in her Autumn Funds. By incentivising the take-up of further highway security programs by means of the tax system, it should 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 placing off Insurance coverage Premium Tax for individuals who undertake further driver coaching.
To offer a lift to susceptible motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally desires the Chancellor to cut back VAT on motorbike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor may be tempted to extend gasoline obligation, 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 % to zero for individuals who undertake further driver coaching.
The price of insurance coverage reached file 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 mentioned: “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 hand over on driving altogether. How can or not it’s proper that kids, usually firstly 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 value of highway visitors collisions prompted to survivors and their households, in addition to the associated 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.”
Scale back VAT on life-saving motorbike air vests
Motorcyclists make up round 3% of all visitors however symbolize 19% of all fatalities, making them essentially the most susceptible highway customers. Bike helmets are thought to be PPE, so are usually not topic to VAT. This variation in coverage will merely deliver air vests according to 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 lower your expenses by rising their uptake and decreasing the associated fee to the emergency providers.”
Freeze gasoline obligation
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits that the 2 largest 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 reduce that was launched in 2022, which has helped motorists save round £50 a 12 months. If the speed is elevated, this needs to be partially ringfenced into repairing Britain’s crumbling highway community and filling in potholes.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes mentioned: “Arduous-done-by motorists will discover any improve in gasoline obligation a bitter capsule to swallow, on condition that they’re already being drained by hefty insurance coverage premiums, to not point out increased restore prices after driving by means of the nation’s crater-ridden roads.
“On the very least, if gasoline obligation 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 should extra importantly save lives, particularly for these travelling on two wheels the place the impression of hitting a pothole is prone to be much more extreme.”
Mature Driver Assessments
In line with the Division for Transport, the variety of individuals which can be killed or severely 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 really useful for as much as 100,000 drivers, at a value of £8.5m to the federal government.
Nicholas Lyes, Director of Coverage and Requirements, mentioned it was significantly regarding on condition 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 maintain their driving in verify, and furthermore, no course of for GPs to have the ability to refer an older driver who they’ve severe considerations over their means to drive. The nation’s inhabitants is ageing, so there might be demand.
“The modest preliminary value 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.”
