Category: IAM RoadSmart

1. IAM calls for road safety targets

   Posted on 12:01am Thursday 10th Nov 2011

   The IAM is calling for road casualty targets to be reintroduced in its contribution to November’s transport select committee’s inquiry into the government’s road safety strategy.  Targets were removed by the government in May this year.
    
   Despite positive reductions in the number of people killed in road accidents in 2010, over the last six months deaths on Britain’s roads have increased by seven per cent compared to the same period last year* (casualties in total have gone down by three per cent).
    
   IAM chairman Alistair Cheyne OBE, writing in the IAM members’ magazine Advanced Driving, said: “That road deaths have gone up is a tragedy. Emergency services do a fantastic job and manufacturers are making cars safer all the time.
    
   “But crashes are best avoided and all drivers need to think about how to make their driving style safer. The government must play a part by reintroducing targets on road safety to give the entire industry a goal to aim for."
    
   An IAM poll in September showed that only a quarter of the 2700 respondents think that the numbers of killed and seriously injured will continue to fall. Twenty-five per cent think they will keep going down. Thirty-four per cent think they will remain the same, and 36 per cent of respondents think that casualty rates will rise a little over the next three years.

   www.iam.org.uk

2. Time for an 80mph motorway speed limit

   Posted on 12:01am Monday 7th Nov 2011

   The IAM is calling for the government to pilot an 80 mph speed limit on a controlled and managed motorway to assess its practicality and safety, and road users’ reaction to it.
    
   In September the government announced that the motorway speed limit could be raised to 80mph.
    
   On uncongested motorways more than half of car drivers exceed the 70mph speed limit, and around a fifth exceed 80 mph*; it is rare for the police to prosecute drivers travelling between 70 and 80mph*1.
    
   Road safety groups have raised a concern that legalising today’s tolerated, yet unofficial, 80 mph speed limit would simply create an unofficial 90 mph limit. If this happened average traffic speeds would increase, as would accidents and their severity – more people could be killed and seriously injured.
    
   The IAM highlights the need for a full risk assessment of an increase in the speed limit, and believes strict enforcement is required to ensure greater compliance with the limit. For example driving at 82mph should risk a speeding ticket.
    
   The IAM wants to see 80mph trialled initially on “Controlled Motorways” and “Managed Motorways” where variable speed limit technology is used. These have already been implemented successfully on the M25 orbital motorway in Surrey and the M42 in the West Midlands.
    
   IAM CEO Simon Best said:  “A fifth of motorway-users already travel at this increased speed, and more than half exceed 72mph when they can, suggesting that a properly controlled 80mph limit may not show huge increases in carbon or road casualties. A detailed trial is needed to assess these risks though, and if they are shown to increase significantly, of course a better-enforced 70 limit may be a more appropriate system.
    
   “Raising the motorway speed limit has been debated for many years, and the evidence is that the motoring public are ready for it*2. The transport secretary should now publish a consultation with firm proposals.”

   www.iam.org.uk

3. IAM response to changes in dangerous driving penalties

   Posted on 12:00am Monday 10th Oct 2011

   IAM spokesperson Vince Yearley said: "Dangerous driving can result in anything from near misses to serious injuries. But the maximum jail term for dangerous driving must relate to the driving offence - not the consequences, however awful."

   The following figures represent the number of accidents caused last year by various types of dangerous driving activity (Department for Transport statistics):
    
   •           18,803 accidents were caused by careless, reckless or hurried driving.
    
   •           3,862 accidents were caused by aggressive driving.
    
   •           Aggressive, careless, reckless or hurried driving caused at least one death a day.
    
   •           5,858 accidents were caused by drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol, resulting in 160 deaths.
    
   •           A significant 32,525 accidents were caused by illegal manoeuvres such as exceeding the speed limit, illegal turns, disobeying traffic signals and disobeying rules pedestrian crossings.
    
   •           14 deaths and 139 serious accidents involved a stolen vehicle.

4. IAM says work your ABS

   Posted on 10:58am Thursday 22nd Sep 2011

   The IAM is supporting calls to make anti-lock braking systems (ABS) compulsory on all new large motorcycles by 2015.  

   MEPs will shortly debate proposals that would force manufacturers to introduce ABS as standard on all new motorcycles over 125cc. The proposals set a deadline of 2017 for this, although the IAM and the FIA would like to see this brought forward by two years so that the safety benefits can be seen as soon as possible.  

   In 2010, the number of motorcyclists involved in fatal accidents in the UK came to 403* – 21 per cent of all road deaths. Yet motorcyclists make up just four per cent of road users. The risk of being killed or injured is 50 times greater for motorcyclists than for car drivers, over the same distance.  

   Based on recent research by the FIA and from experience in Italy, where nearly a quarter of all new large bikes already have ABS, the IAM estimates that compulsory introduction would save 1500 lives a year across Europe. In the UK three quarters of all bikers killed are riding the biggest bikes so this technology has huge potential to save lives here. The IAM’s report Licensed to Skill also shows that 'sudden braking' and 'slippery road' are in the top 10 causation factors for motorcycle casualties.  

   IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “ABS is available now on many new bikes and the evidence is clear from across Europe that it is delivering fewer deaths. Carefully crafted legislation making ABS mandatory for all large road motorcycles would make motorcyclists safer, although we do still have concerns about the long term reliability of some ABS systems. On motorcycles ABS is still prone to faults because it is more open to the elements and repairs can be very expensive. Compulsory fitment will bring down unit costs and allow all riders to enjoy the safety benefits.”  

   www.iam.org.uk

5. MOTORCYCLE RIDING SKILLS IMPROVE WITH THE IAM AND RIDESAFE BACKSAFE

   Posted on 12:00am Tuesday 16th Nov 2010

   North west road safety initiative RideSafe BackSafe and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) are heralding their Rider Assessment Scheme a great success after nearly 150 motorcyclists  completed the courses.

   The series of one day events were held monthly from April to October in Chorley, Lancashire and primarily appealed to full motorcycle licence holders wishing to improve their riding skills with help from advanced riding assessors. The format included an interactive theory session about the challenges that motorcyclists face as vulnerable road users and a one-to-one appraisal for every rider after an observed ride on local roads.

   North west Regional Groups Co-ordinator for the IAM, Ian Marginson, explains; "Motorcyclists came to us from Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and further afield and the feedback at the end of each day was always good. 90% of riders were men, although we are seeing the number of women who take part increase steadily each year. The cost of the scheme was just £20 per person and nearly half of participants also signed up for the IAM’s ‘Skills For Life’ course to improve their riding skills even further. RideSafe BackSafe has played an integral part by promoting the scheme and making an introductory presentation about how they aim to reduce casualties on the road. It has worked really well in 2010 and we are all keen to expand this next year“.

   Nearly 20% of all fatal and serious injury casualties involved in road traffic collisions are motorcyclists and yet, they make up less than one percent of all road users.                                                                                                                  

   RideSafe BackSafe Spokesperson, Karen Delaney, continues; “Other road users need to ‘think bike’ and ‘think biker’, but we can also help motorcyclists directly by giving them easy and affordable access to schemes such as this to develop their riding skills and improve their well-being on the roads. We would like to continue working with the IAM in 2011 and have a few new ideas that would increase the appeal and the reach of this scheme“.

   More information can be viewed at either www.ridesafebacksafe.co.uk or www.iam.org.uk