The UK’s main street security charity, IAM RoadSmart, is asking on the Chancellor to take steps to each saves lives and cut back the influence of street site visitors collisions in her Autumn Price range. By incentivising the take-up of extra street security programs by means of 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 yr and being an enormous concern for drivers, significantly the under-25s, the charity recommends putting off Insurance coverage Premium Tax for many who undertake extra driver coaching.
To offer a lift to susceptible motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally desires the Chancellor to scale back VAT on motorbike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor is likely to be tempted to extend gasoline obligation, 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 asking 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 document 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 stated: “This exhibits that these excessive premiums have gotten unaffordable significantly for these teams which will probably be disproportionately impacted. They might encourage younger folks to both break the legislation by driving uninsured, or hand over on driving altogether. How can or not it’s proper that children, usually firstly of their careers and needing a automobile to get to work, could also be priced out of driving altogether.
“Moreover, there’s the human price of street site visitors collisions prompted to survivors and their households, in addition to the associated fee to the Treasury – £43bn per yr. By encouraging drivers to upskill and save on their premiums, numerous deaths and severe accidents will probably be prevented.”
Cut back VAT on life-saving motorbike air vests
Motorcyclists make up round 3% of all site visitors however symbolize 19% of all fatalities, making them essentially the most susceptible street customers. Bike helmets are thought to be PPE, so usually are not topic to VAT. This transformation in coverage will merely convey air vests according to many different types of PPE.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes stated: “Slashing VAT on motorbike air vests won’t solely be saving riders’ lives however may also get monetary savings by rising their uptake and lowering the associated fee to the emergency providers.”
Freeze gasoline obligation
Analysis by IAM RoadSmart exhibits that the 2 largest 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 yr. If the speed is elevated, this ought to be partially ringfenced into repairing Britain’s crumbling street community and filling in potholes.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Coverage and Requirements Nicholas Lyes stated: “Laborious-done-by motorists will discover any enhance 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 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 influence 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 severely 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 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 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 examine, 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 probably 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, this can give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal profit.”
