The UK’s main highway security charity, IAM RoadSmart, is asking on the Chancellor to take steps to each saves lives and scale back the influence of highway site visitors collisions in her Autumn Price range. By incentivising the take-up of extra highway security programs via 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, 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 weak motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart additionally desires the Chancellor to cut back VAT on bike air vests.
Whereas the Chancellor is likely to be tempted to extend gas obligation, IAM RoadSmart urges her to offer motorists some respiratory house 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 asking 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 report highs earlier this yr, with the typical 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 stated: “This exhibits that these excessive premiums have gotten unaffordable significantly for these teams which will likely be disproportionately impacted. They may encourage younger folks to both break the regulation by driving uninsured, or hand over on driving altogether. How can it’s proper that children, typically at first of their careers and needing a car to get to work, could also be priced out of driving altogether.
“Moreover, there may be the human price of highway site visitors collisions precipitated 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 will likely 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 essentially the most weak highway customers. Bike helmets are considered PPE, so aren’t topic to VAT. This alteration 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 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 gas obligation
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 take care of 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 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 gas obligation a bitter capsule to swallow, on condition that they’re already being drained by hefty insurance coverage premiums, to not point out greater restore prices after driving via the nation’s crater-ridden roads.
“On the very least, if gas 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 influence of hitting a pothole is more likely to be much more extreme.”
Mature Driver Assessments
In accordance with the Division for Transport, the variety of folks which might be 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 beneficial 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 taking place 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 need 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 critical considerations over their potential to drive. The nation’s inhabitants is ageing, so there will likely be demand.
“The modest preliminary price 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 can give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal profit.”
