Category: IAM RoadSmart

1. IAM RoadSmart concerned by lack of progress in road deaths – and calls for a new focus on driver behaviour

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 27th Sep 2018

   IAM RoadSmart has expressed its disappointment in yet another year without progress in the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in the UK.
   
   IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity, said that although cars are getting safer and there has been a step change in new road investment, careless human behaviour and increasing traffic levels are cancelling this out.
   
   This morning (27 September) the Department of Transport announced that there was 1793 reported road deaths in 2017, an increase of 1 on 2016 (reference 1).
   
   There were 24,831 people seriously injured in reported road traffic accidents in 2017 and 170,993 casualties of all severities.
   
   Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “Although the number of casualties of all severities in reported road traffic accidents in 2017 is 6% lower than in 2016 and is the lowest level on record, the number of fatalities has increased, albeit by just 1.
   
   “We appear to have reached a hard core of human behaviour related crashes that requires much more focus on driver training and quality if we are to make progress towards a long term vision of zero deaths on our roads. Road safety in the UK seems to be bumping along the floor with yet another year without real improvement in key fatal injury statistics.
   
   “With seven years without progress it is clear that we have an increasingly complex picture of good news, such as safer cars and investment in new roads, being cancelled out by more traffic and a hard core of human behaviour issues that are the most difficult to tackle.
   
   “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and it is clear that working in partnership to promote it is the key to returning to long term downward trends. More incentives for post-test training, consistent enforcement of new motoring laws, accelerating the uptake of AEB (autonomous emergency braking) equipped cars and promoting best practice in driving for work are just a few examples of the quick gains that could be achieved.”

    

2. IAM RoadSmart highlights failure of Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act to bring companies to account for their road safety performance

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 21st Sep 2018

   As IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity, relaunches its commercial website, the charity has highlighted the lack of driving-for-work prosecutions under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act (CMCHA) - nobody has ever been sent to jail, or even prosecuted, for contributing to an avoidable death under the legislation.
   
   This fact was included in a new whitepaper commissioned by IAM RoadSmart’s commercial division called ‘The Corporate Manslaughter Act, Ten Years On.’

   This is the first of several whitepapers commissioned by IAM RoadSmart, and is aimed at the business driver community that will be featured on the new site at ww.iamroadsmart.com/business
   
   Tony Greenidge, IAM RoadSmart business development director, commented: “Many in the transport and driver risk management arena welcomed the Corporate Manslaughter Act legislation when it was introduced, believing it would make it easier to hold organisations more closely to account for the wellbeing and safety of those engaged in driving for work, with safety benefits for other road-users. A few years ago the fleet industry was buzzing with experts warning companies that if they didn’t implement proper, robust workplace driving policies to safeguard the public and the workforce, they would all be going to jail. It was going to be transformational for road safety. Yet no company car driver or senior manager involved in an avoidable death has been anywhere near a prosecution. It seems the legislation has proved difficult to apply.”
   
   The whitepaper also summarises some of the early convictions under the act – none of which relate to driving-at-work.

   The IAM RoadSmart analysis concludes that, despite estimates that “more than a quarter” of “all road incidents” involve someone driving, riding or using the road for work, making it the UK’s most dangerous work-related activity, “The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which should be taking a lead with CMCHA, is not fully engaged with it. We want to see the driving seat seen much more firmly as a place of work, with all that would entail under health and safety legislation.”
   
   Professor Steve Tombs of the Open University said in the whitepaper that corporate manslaughter is “too far down the pecking order” and has no dedicated team at the HSE.
   “It has not done what it was designed to do; bring to account large companies. Where the law falls down is in its ability to identify fault in one central headquarters location or with the senior executive. You can always pin it down to the individual man or woman driving. But showing ‘he or she was failing to operate in a way that was required by the company’ is much harder.”
   
   Neil Greig, director of policy and research of IAM RoadSmart added: “If a company director forced someone to drive too many hours in the day, or employed someone who had been banned (from driving) and there was a crash resulting in a fatality, a prosecution would help send a message to businesses that a lot more care needs to be taken in this area.”
   
   To download IAM RoadSmart’s whitepaper ‘The Corporate Manslaughter Act, Ten Years On’ click here

3. Pothole mania: one in two IAM RoadSmart members have experienced damage due to potholes, says new survey

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 24th Aug 2018

   A survey conducted by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has found that its members are increasingly disillusioned with the state of the roads in the UK – and feel the Government is not doing nearly enough to tackle the problem.
   
   The survey of more than 7,000 IAM RoadSmart members found that the majority think that our roads have become much worse in recent years, that there are many more potholes than ever before, and that they have to swerve to avoid potholes on every journey.
   Some 47% - over 3,400 respondents – say they have experienced damage to their car, commercial vehicle, motorbike or bicycle or personal injury as a result of hitting a pothole.
   Around 90% have spotted a deterioration of some level in the roads they use with just over 50% rating the state of their roads as ‘much worse’ in the past three years and 38% rating them ‘worse.’
   Some 81% - close to 6,000 people – say they have noticed ‘many more’ potholes in the past three years, adding in the 13% who have seen ‘a few more,’ that gives a total of 94% who report more potholes.
   Over 56% say they have to take avoiding action on every journey to dodge potholes, while 27% say they have to steer around a pothole every day.
   While a third of IAM RoadSmart members are willing to consider new funding ideas to help improve our roads, half were against a 2p increase in fuel duty and most of those were strongly opposed.
   Mike Quinton, Chief Executive Officer of IAM RoadSmart, said: “IAM RoadSmart is deeply concerned at the safety implications of drivers having to swerve to avoid potholes as well as the high level of damage and injuries revealed by our survey.
   “We are looking to the authorities to work together to produce a long term and sustainable plan to reduce the backlog of road maintenance before yet another damaging winter sets things back even further.
   
   “The figures from our survey are compelling and it is increasingly clear that those who use the roads on a daily basis are pretty much united on this one - enough time has now passed for a long term plan to be in place and for work to have started. As our survey has shown, this is now the motoring public’s number one priority.”
   
   To download the full survey click here
   

4. Racing Heroes Give The ‘Thumbs Up’ To IAM RoadSmart Campaign To Increase Courtesy On The Roads

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 30th Jul 2018

   IAM RoadSmart has labelled August ‘Thumbs Up For Great Driving And Riding!’ month, as the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity gears up for a campaign to increase courteous and polite driving and riding on UK roads

   Across the month of August, IAM RoadSmart is encouraging drivers and riders via its network of 202 local groups around the country to acknowledge and demonstrate their appreciation when another road user lets them into traffic, allows them priority or gives them a helping hand – with a simple thumbs up, or one of IAM RoadSmart’s special thumbs up stickers.

   IAM RoadSmart staff and volunteers will be out watching for good deeds done and will be armed with thousands of stickers to hand out in support of the campaign.

   IAM RoadSmart local groups will be fundraising during the month of August, so there are plenty of other ‘Thumbs Up For Great Driving And Riding!’ items available.

   The money raised will go towards a special IAM RoadSmart safety vehicle, decked up in IAM RoadSmart colours, equipped with road safety merchandise and equipment. If the target of £10,000 is reached, IAM RoadSmart groups around the country will be able to use the vehicle free of charge for promotional events or displays through the year as they help spread the road safety message to young people and local community groups.

   The ‘Thumbs Up For Great Driving And Riding!’ campaign has won the support of two of the country’s most respected motorsport heroes – Nigel Mansell CBE and Paddy Hopkirk OBE, plus one of the UK’s most accomplished riders, Maria Costello MBE.

   Nigel, who is world famous for his 14 year Formula 1 career culminating in winning the 1992 world title in a Williams, said: “Nowadays it sometimes feels like courtesy on our roads is in rather short supply – and it’s about time that good driving is rewarded. I am wholly in favour of ‘Thumbs Up For Great Driving And Riding’ month – anything that leaves a smile on the face after a journey is a good idea to me.”

   Paddy, who became a household name after winning the Monte Carlo and Acropolis rallies in the iconic red Mini, as well as competing at Le Mans, Daytona in the USA and the epic London-Sydney Marathon, added: “I’ve been driving for more than six decades and being thanked or thanking someone changes the whole tone of a journey.

   “Let’s just make all our lives that much more cheerful by giving the thumbs up where it’s deserved and moving on with a smile.”

   Maria, who made history as the first woman to claim a podium at the Isle of Man Classic TT alongside her hero John McGuinness and who held the Guinness World Record as the fastest woman to lap the Isle of Man TT course for five years, said: “It really is a shame to see conflict on the road escalate so fast, when all it takes is for one party to back down and diffuse the situation. We urge everyone out there to be the ‘bigger man or woman’ and take the first step towards promoting courtesy between road users as the norm and not the exception.”

   IAM RoadSmart is asking drivers and motorcyclists to get involved with the campaign by sharing their own positive driving and riding experiences on social media using the hashtag #ThumbsUpForGreatDriving or #ThumbsUpForGreatRiding.

   Further information about how to get involved is available at www.iamroadsmart.com/ThumbsUp, @iamroadsmart or Facebook.com/iamroadsmart or supporters can go to to www.thunderclap.it/projects/70439-thumbs-up-2018 help share the message.

5. White van man not so crazy after all, says IAM RoadSmart

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 20th Jun 2018

   IAM RoadSmart has discovered that the myth of ‘white van man’ recklessly tearing his way up and down the country may be just an urban myth after all. In spite of vans being the fastest growing type of vehicle on UK roads in terms of miles travelled, serious and fatal crashes involving them are falling.

   Vans and light good vehicles now travel 49 billion miles a year on our roads according to the most recent figures from 2016. Compared to a decade ago, vans now travel 10 billion miles more a year than they used to, an increase of 22% largely fuelled by internet shopping and the popularity of ‘next day delivery’ options (DfT figures).

   In the last 10 years, crashes involving vans have fallen from 15,593 in 2006 to 13,125 in 2016, with fatalities reducing from 274 to 186 in the same year (DfT figures).

   IAM RoadSmart puts this reduction partly down to companies which employ their own drivers increasingly using robust driver training and vehicle management programmes, which in turn pay dividends in lost man hours, reduced ‘bent metal’ costs and increased customer satisfaction. Trial by social media has also been a factor as companies can no longer risk the damage to their reputation caused by bad driving in vehicles bearing their company logo.

   Additionally, over a third (37%) of LCVs (light commercial vehicles) on Britain’s roads are less than five years old compared to just 5% of all of Britain’s cars – meaning they are far more likely to contain the latest in crash protection and active and passive safety features (SMMT figures).

   Along with these technological advances, IAM RoadSmart also encourages drivers to take rest breaks and make regular checks to ensure their vehicle is roadworthy and correctly loaded. Frequent driver training is also recommended to ensure knowledge and skill levels are maintained.

   Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “It is heartening to see that van operators are more than ever taking their responsibilities to their drivers and the public seriously, and this is being reflected in a reduction in serious and fatal crashes.

   “The increasing use of telematics means drivers and companies will be increasingly held accountable for crashes, so operators know it is in their interest, for both human and economic reasons, that they keep up this good work.”

   Here are some more van facts:

   More than half (57.0%) of the vans on the road are white, with silver (11.4%) in second place and blue (9.0%) third

   If you parked all the vans in the UK end-to-end, they would stretch 28 times the length of the A1

   The combined payload volume of all the vans in the UK adds up to 26.2 million cubic metres – the equivalent of 10,483 Olympic swimming pools

   For details of IAM RoadSmart’s commercial training options for those driving for work visit www.iamroadsmart.com/business