Category: IAM RoadSmart

1. IAM disappointed at big leap in fatalities and particularly motorcycle deaths on Scottish roads‏

   Posted on 8:57am Sunday 21st Jun 2015

   The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has reacted with disappointment to the big increase in fatalities on Scotland’s roads as announced this morning by Transport Scotland, stating it made the Scottish government’s mid-term review of its Road Safety Plan all the more urgent.

   Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2014 figures show of the total of 11,240 road casualties reported in 2014 there were 200 fatalities - 16% more than 2013.

   There were also 1,694 seriously injured, some 22 or 1% more than 2013. Figures show there was a 44.6% increase in motorcycle casualties including 31 fatalities (see reference 1 for all figures).

   Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and research, said: “While in many areas figures are falling, in some very important ones they have risen alarmingly.

   “There has been a lot going on in road safety in Scotland with projects such as the A9 average speed cameras coming on stream but the challenge of breaking the link between rising traffic and crashes remains a huge one.

   “Alongside the government the IAM want to see more incentives for individuals and companies to improve the quality of their driving and riding. New roads and new cars have delivered year on year death reductions for decades but the underlying human factors involved must now receive even higher priority.”

   The IAM’s Manifesto addresses what the charity believes need to happen to reduce the numbers of those killed and seriously injured on the roads. You can download it here

2. More than 400 people a month arrested for drug-driving in England and Wales, IAM reveals

   Posted on 10:29am Wednesday 17th Jun 2015

   The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has revealed for the first time the true scale of drug-driving in the UK since new laws came into force – and showed that over 400 people a month have already been arrested for this offence.

   The IAM made a Freedom of Information request asking every police force area in England and Wales for the number of arrests made for the new offence (of driving with a specified controlled drug in the body above the specified limit for that drug), since it was introduced on 2 March 2015.

   The IAM’s findings show 902 drug-drive arrests in total were made by forces in England and Wales. On average police arrested almost one person every three days for this crime.

   In addition the results that have come through have shown there is little consistency in testing and arrests across England and Wales, with figures ranging from 200-plus in one police force down to zero in others.

   The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of arrests, with 214 in just over two months which equates to three drivers every day since the law was changed. Next up was Northumbria Police with 97, then Cheshire Constabulary with 70, Sussex Police with 58 and South Yorkshire Police with 55.

   At the opposite end of the scale Leicestershire Police, Warwickshire Police and Gwent Police have yet to make any arrests at all for this offence in the first two months of its existence.

   A full list of results from each police force is at the end of this press release.

   The new laws introduced in England and Wales on 2 March set limits at very low levels for eight drugs commonly associated with illegal use, such as cannabis and cocaine. Eight prescription drugs were also included within the new law including diazepam, methadone and morphine.

   Police are able to use a "drugalyser" to screen for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside. Even if a driver passes the roadside check, officers will still be able to test at a police station for ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and heroin as well as other drugs.

   According to the 2010 North Report which looked at the prevalence of illicit drug use among drivers in Great Britain, drugs could be a factor in as many as 200 deaths every year, and six per cent of drivers aged between 17 and 39 claimed to have driven at some time whilst under the influence of drugs (quoted in reference 1).

   Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “I am sure the majority of law abiding drivers would like to know why there is such a variation in the data we have received from police forces. It would be unfortunate if some people got the idea that some areas are softer on drug-driving than others.

   “It is very clear from our survey that the new drug driving law has just scratched the surface of a much bigger issue. It would seem Sir Peter North has been proved correct when he said there is a significant drug-driving problem which is out of all proportion to the number of accidents reported to the police. We are delighted that the legislation has been introduced and people are being caught.

   “We have reached a point where drink-driving has become socially unacceptable, particularly amongst younger people. We now need a sustained campaign to back up the police enforcement effort and ensure drug-driving is seen in exactly the same way. The effects of driving under the influence of drugs can be devastating.”
   Here is the full table of the numbers of drivers caught by each police force in England and Wales:

   Police Force/Drug driving arrests/Time period monitored (from-to)

   Avon and Somerset /12/2 March-6 May
   Bedfordshire/4/2 March-18 May
   Cambridgeshire/10 /2 March- 1 May
   Cheshire/70/2 March-17 May
   City of London/3/2 March-12 May
   Cleveland/21/2 March-28 May
   Cumbria/No response
   Derbyshire/No response
   Devon and Cornwall/12/2 March-13 May
   Dorset/No response
   Durham/23/2 March-4 May
   Dyfed-Powys/5/2 March-30 April
   Essex/Not available (see reference 2)
   Gloucestershire/No response
   Greater Manchester/26/2 March-11 May
   Gwent/0/1 April-30 April
   Hampshire/32/2 March-18 May
   Hertfordshire/15/2 March-30 April
   Humberside/10/2 March-30 April
   Kent /20/2 March-5 May
   Lancashire/10/2 March-11 May
   Leicestershire/0/2 March-21 May
   Lincolnshire/3/2 March-30 April
   Merseyside/24/2 March-30 April
   Metropolitan/214/2 March-11 May
   Norfolk/5/2 March-5 May
   Northamptonshire/4 /2 March-30 April
   Northumbria/97/2 March-30 April
   North Wales/34/2 March-20 May
   North Yorkshire/4/2 March-31 May
   Nottinghamshire/20/2 March-30 April
   South Wales/8 /2 March-30 April
   South Yorkshire/55/2 March-30 April
   Staffordshire/No response
   Suffolk/11/2 March-30 April
   Surrey/43/2 March-7 May
   Sussex/58/2 March-30 April
   Thames Valley /4/2 March-6 May
   Warwickshire/0/2 March- 30 April
   West Mercia/18/2 March- 30 April
   West Midlands /11/2 March-1 May
   West Yorkshire/9/2 March-29 April
   Wiltshire/7/2 March-8 May

   ENDS

   Reference 1

3. Response to TfL motorcycle death figures in London

   Posted on 9:00am Friday 12th Jun 2015

   The Institute of Advanced Motorists' (IAM) response to the news that there were 127 deaths on London's roads in 2014, 27 of which were motorcyclists, last year is as follows:

   IAM's director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "Motorcycling is gaining in popularity in the capital where it offers an excellent solution to London's congestion problems, but it is worrying that deaths are on the increase. Drivers are clearly learning to look out for pedestrians and cyclists but the vulnerability of motorcyclists is often forgotten. As well as biker awareness campaigns for all road users the IAM would like to see easy access to extra training for those taking up urban commuting for the first time."

   www.iam.org.uk

4. IAM warns drivers not aware of impending changes to scrapping of driving licence counterpart today‏

   Posted on 11:45am Monday 8th Jun 2015

   The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is warning people to be aware of the changes that will take effect today (8 June) as the paper counterpart for the driving licence is scrapped.

   As was the case with the abolition of the paper tax disc last October, the IAM fear many people are still confused or unaware of the implications of the scrapping of the paper counterpart today.

   The counterpart was introduced alongside the photo card driving licence in 1998 to include details such as any endorsements and which category of vehicles you are entitled to drive.

   However this information will now be stored electronically and any updates will not be shown on any written documentation you will have. These details can only be obtained via the DVLA driver record system, and be checked online or in writing by post.

   As of 8 June the paper counterpart, or an old-style paper driving licence cannot be relied upon to carry correct or-up-to-date information about endorsements or categories of vehicle someone can drive.

   The counterpart will carry no legal status, and the DVLA recommends you destroy it after 8 June.

   What is also changing is the procedure if you have to surrender your driving licence to a court in the event of an endorsement. The court will take your photocard and if you include the paper counterpart with your submission, the photocard will be returned to you but the counterpart will not. You will be expected to pay your fine in the normal way however.

   Another change is how to provide proof of your driving record to an employer or car hire firm, as your photocard or paper licence will not be enough in itself any more. You will need to access the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service for this (reference 1 again).

   You will be expected to access the details yourself and print those off for submission to a car hire firm or employer. Or you can call the DVLA and give a third party permission to check your driving record verbally.

   If you are hiring a vehicle, it is important to check with the car hire firm beforehand what information they need. Other than downloading the information as detailed above, you can also obtain a special code from www.gov.uk which allows the hire firm access to your record for 72 hours to make the necessary checks. This applies to both holders of photocard and paper licences.

   Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “People are not aware of how many of the current procedures are changing. Similar to the abolition of the tax disc, they assume much of what has happened before will continue.

   “The onus is very much on the individual to obtain the information they need beforehand. So we very much hope people will not be caught unawares, especially if they don’t want a nasty surprise when arriving to collect their car at the start of their holiday.”

    

   Reference 1
   
   
   www.iam.org.uk

5. Road users still hung up on mobile phone use, according to IAM survey‏

   Posted on 9:11am Saturday 6th Jun 2015

   The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging the new government to increase its efforts in promoting road safety by giving targeted enforcement a higher priority.

   With the yet-to-be-revealed figures for 2014 shaping up to show an increase in deaths and injuries on UK roads, the IAM believe the new government must make road traffic policing a core priority function for police forces and commissioners in England and Wales.

   The call comes following a survey conducted by the IAM throughout April 2015, in which 2,703 people took part. Despite years of government cutbacks and police budgets continuing to be stretched, over 45 per cent of respondents voted for an increase in the number of police officers in marked vehicles to enforce traffic laws.

   Top offences that road users would like to see police officers tackle include; mobile phone use at the wheel – voted by 72 per cent, drink and drug-driving – voted by 65 per cent, aggressive and angry drivers – voted by 50 per cent and tailgating drivers – voted by 42 per cent.

   With over 3,064 motorists killed or seriously injured in 2013 as a result of speeding (2), tackling speed related offences also remains a major priority for drivers. According to 64 per cent of survey respondents, one of the best ways to confront the issue is by ensuring that there are more traffic police officers on all major urban roads.

   With reference to drink-driving alone, existing research from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has found that young drivers aged between 20 and 25 are most likely to be caught driving under the influence of alcohol and are therefore at a higher risk of being involved in a road accident (3). Some 44 per cent of respondents agree that a new consultation is needed to reflect the growing support for a lower limit following Scotland’s new drink-drive legislation from 80mg to 50mg limit, which came into effect on 5 December 2014.

   Besides seeing more traffic police officers on our roads, many road users believe that the police should be granted more extensive powers. For example, 45 per cent of respondents support having more discretion to breath test based on where drivers are likely to be driving after drinking (e.g. near pubs and clubs) which could l help combat this issue far more rigorously.

   IAM’s chief executive officer, Sarah Sillars, said: “The government cannot afford to be complacent about road safety and a lot more needs to be done to address major road offences through the enforcement of existing legislation and full use of police powers. The IAM supports an increase in the number of high profile road policing officers and a zero tolerance approach to the enforcement of traffic laws.

   “Where drivers are failing to live up to the required standards they must be given access to a wider range of targeted retraining courses that refresh their skills, these include the IAM drink-drive rehabilitation course (4), educational campaigns targeting young drivers, and the IAM Skill for Life course which help existing drivers to improve their skills and give them greater awareness of other road users (5).”
   
   

   1. THINK! Speed campaign: http://think.direct.gov.uk/speed.html
   2. National Police Chiefs’ Council release: http://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/younger-drivers-still-need-to-take-heed-of-drink-drive-dangers
   3. IAM Driver Retraining Academy, further information here: http://iamdra.org.uk/
   4. More information about IAM Skill for Life here: http://www.iam.org.uk/drivers/motorists-courses/advanced-driving/motorists-skill-for-life
   5. The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving and motorcycling. 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 and motorcycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.