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 affect of highway site visitors collisions in her Autumn Price range. By incentivising the take-up of extra 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 report highs earlier this yr and being an enormous concern for drivers, notably the under-25s, the charity recommends putting off Insurance coverage Premium Tax for many who undertake extra driver coaching.
To supply a lift to weak motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally needs the Chancellor to scale back VAT on bike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor may be tempted to extend gasoline obligation, IAM RoadSmart urges her to offer motorists some respiratory area by retaining ranges on the present 52.95p after a interval of report 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 scale 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 yr, with the common premium costing round £600. The typical premium for beneath 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 notably for these teams which might be disproportionately impacted. They may encourage younger folks to both break the legislation by driving uninsured, or surrender on driving altogether. How can or not it’s proper that children, typically at first 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 site visitors collisions prompted to survivors and their households, in addition to the price to the Treasury – £43bn per yr. By encouraging drivers to upskill and save on their premiums, numerous deaths and critical accidents might be prevented.”
Scale back VAT on life-saving bike air vests
Motorcyclists make up round 3% of all site visitors however characterize 19% of all fatalities, making them probably the most weak highway customers. Motorbike helmets are considered PPE, so will not be 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 bike air vests won’t solely be saving riders’ lives however will even lower your expenses by growing their uptake and decreasing the price to the emergency providers.”
Freeze gasoline obligation
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits that the 2 greatest issues for motorists are both value, or the state of the roads. The charity calls on the Chancellor to keep up the present the 5p lower that was launched in 2022, which has helped motorists save round £50 a yr. If the speed is elevated, this ought 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: “Laborious-done-by motorists will discover any enhance in gasoline obligation a bitter tablet 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 affect of hitting a pothole is more likely to be way more extreme.”
Mature Driver Assessments
In accordance with the Division for Transport, the variety of folks which are killed or critically 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 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, mentioned it was notably 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 need 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 issues over their means to drive. The nation’s inhabitants is ageing, so there might 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 can give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal profit.”