Category: IAM RoadSmart

1. Green paper for young drivers needed much sooner, says IAM

   Posted on 11:21am Tuesday 1st Oct 2013

   As the Conservative party meet in Manchester for their annual conference, road safety charity IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is calling on the party to publish their much promised Green Paper on new drivers as soon as possible.

   Road crashes are the biggest killer of young people in the UK today.  In 2011, 412 people died in incidents involving young drivers. Over the past four months since the government’s initial announcement to publish a green paper that would mean 137 17 to 25 year olds have been killed. Any delay in a review of our learner driver system means more young licence holders will die on the roads.

   IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “The UK has the safest roads in the world but with so many crashes involving new drivers, there is a clear urgency for the government to address the issues young people face on the roads. We must all do our bit to assist and make sure our road users are safe.  A Green Paper is a once in a generation opportunity to refresh our system of learning to drive and deliver long lasting benefits in road safety for all.”

   www.iam.org.uk

2. Here comes the autumn

   Posted on 8:22am Tuesday 1st Oct 2013

   IAM’s head of riding standards and advanced motorcyclist, Peter Rodger, is offering motorcycling tips. This month, he is advising on getting ready for the autumn.  

   • Check your battery is full charged and is in good condition. The colder the weather, the more work it has to do.
   • Give your tyres the once over. You’ll be relying on them to be in a good state, especially in the damp and wet weather.
   • Add to your summer gear. It’s important to have a set of waterproof overalls for the wet weather.
   • The rain will inevitably affect the riding conditions. Allow more of a following distance.
   • Don’t ride into puddles; they could conceal a pothole or other hazards.
   • Riding in low sun can make it difficult to see ahead – be prepared, not surprised, and try to keep your eyes shaded.

   Rodger said: “As the cold weather takes its toll on the roads, you’ll find that lying water becomes additional hazard as it hides cracks in the surface as well disguising the depth of any holes. Look well ahead to negotiate potholes so that you don’t get caught out by one.”  

3. Bring back road safety targets, says IAM

   Posted on 8:01am Tuesday 24th Sep 2013

   The IAM is calling on the Labour Party to back targets for reducing injuries and deaths on the road at this year’s party conference.

   An IAM survey of local Councillors earlier this year showed that Labour Councillors were the most committed to road safety. Seventy-four per cent said it was a priority for them.  Seventy-eight per cent of labour councillors disagreed with the removal of road safety targets.1

   Internationally, road safety targets are seen as best practice and are used by most developed and developing countries.  A target-led approach to road safety would allow the highest risk groups such as cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers on rural roads to be the focus of well-coordinated enforcement, engineering and educational campaigns.

   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Road safety targets work very effectively. In the past they joined up organisations. Local councils, the police, the NHS and safety camera partnerships used common targets to bring their policies together.  And where there was a target, they always wanted to exceed it.”

4. Stronger penalties needed for texting drivers, says IAM‏

   Posted on 8:57am Wednesday 18th Sep 2013

   Drivers convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be given stronger and more consistent penalties, according to road safety charity the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).

   An IAM analysis of eleven recent prosecutions involving mobile and smartphone use revealed that the average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is four-and-a-half years in prison and a disqualification from driving for seven years.  In all of the cases analysed, the convicted drivers were found to have lost their concentration due to using their mobile phone.

   Loss of concentration caused:
   • Six incidents where vehicles ran into the back of a stationary or slow moving queue of traffic or a broken down vehicle
   • Three incidents where vehicles drifted across the road and hit another vehicle head-on
   • Two incidents leading to the death of a pedestrian

   The vast majority of the public agree that that using a mobile phone while driving is clearly unsafe. Yet, since 2006, 750,000 fixed penalties have been issued to drivers for this very reason.1

   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “The maximum sentence available to the courts is fourteen years, so there is still scope for an even stronger road safety message that drivers who kill whilst distracted on their phones will be caught and jailed for a long time.

   “The lesson here is obvious: never use your phone while driving. Whether you have a hands free kit or use loudspeaker, it doesn’t matter. Using your phone in any capacity reduces your attention from the task at hand – driving.”

   1. 90 per cent of respondents disagreed that it was perfectly safe to talk on a handheld phone while driving according to British Social Attitudes survey 2011: Public Attitudes towards Transport:
   2. IAM analysis of penalties for causing death by dangerous driving due to using a mobile phone covers the time period 2006-2011.
   3. The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycling and cycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 100,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving, motorcycling and cycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.

5. 42 points and still allowed to drive

   Posted on 6:52am Thursday 5th Sep 2013

   A woman from Isleworth, West London, accumulated 42 licence penalty points last year, according to the latest figures from the DVLA1.  The points were all for failing to disclose the identity of the driver between 26 May and 21 December 2012.

   The second-highest points total, 36, went to a man from Warrington, Cheshire, who was caught driving without insurance six times in less than two weeks, between 20 February and 2 March 2012.

   Other notable offenders include: • A man from Southend-on-Sea with 30 points, who was caught speeding ten times between 14 March 2011 and 3 August 2012. • A man from Blackburn with 29 points, who was caught speeding eight times in two months, between 29 September 2011 and 29 November 2011. • A man from Pevensey, East Sussex, with 24 points who was caught speeding six times in just two weeks, between 30 September and 13 October 2012.

   Failing to give the identity of the owner, speeding, and driving uninsured are the most common reasons for points.

   Of the top twenty licence-points holders, only two are women.

   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “It’s really disappointing to see that this issue has not yet been resolved.  DVLA and the Courts Service are upgrading their computer systems to ensure that offence information is shared more efficiently, but this is not due to be in place until October.  When drivers with ten speeding offences are getting away with holding a licence, these improvements cannot come quickly enough.

   The IAM has no sympathy for owners who refuse to reveal the identity of the driver, and we would welcome an urgent consultation on new ways to deal with this problem.   Drivers must expect that 12 points means a ban or the whole system falls into disrepute.”