Tag: IAM RoadSmart

Poll finds vast majority of most experienced motorists don’t trust smart motorways

A new web poll on smart motorways from independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has revealed that the majority of respondents (85 per cent) want a halt on their construction until the safety case is fully proven.

Furthermore, 84 per cent of the 4,500 respondents surveyed had little faith in the current safety systems’ abilities to detect them if they were to breakdown in a running lane and protect them until help arrived.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “Our members include many high mileage, experienced and confident motorway users but the results of this survey are clear to see, with the vast majority having very little, or no confidence, in the safety of smart motorways.

“We would urge the Department for Transport and Highways England to listen to what smart motorway users are saying and to consider our findings, along with other in-depth research, to determine the best approach to developing the smart motorway network. Delaying decisions on smart motorways will only lead to more drivers getting stressed.

“Alongside more education for drivers, IAM RoadSmart wants to see strong leadership with clear decisions taken soon on whether the programme should be reversed, or provided with the appropriate funding that will speed up delivery of the promised refuges, CCTV and vehicle detection technology.”

Meanwhile, other hard-hitting results from the IAM RoadSmart study found that 81 per cent of motorists felt less safe travelling on a smart motorway compared to a normal one, and 81 per cent agreed that hard shoulders should be immediately reinstated on smart motorways.

More than 80 per cent also wanted safety refuges on smart motorways to be spaced at 500 metres apart or less.

Finally, 40 per cent of drivers found no noticeable improvement in their journey time, with only 4 per cent finding a very noticeable improvement compared to 6 per cent who actually found it worse than before.

“This survey highlights a potentially very serious unintended consequence in that driver reluctance to use smart motorways could create increased traffic on local A and B roads. This would undoubtedly lead to an increased risk of collision and injury with even more delays and driver frustration resulting.” Greig concluded.

New report urges the Government to bring in alcolocks without delay

An expert report issued today is urging the UK Government to implement an alcolock programme without delay to help reduce the number of drink drive related incidents.

Westminster’s Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) report, which IAM RoadSmart contributed to, highlights that the greater use of alcolocks will have a positive impact on road safety.

The UK’s largest independent road safety charity welcomes this latest report and the use of alcolocks – which require the driver to blow into a breath-testing instrument that is connected to the vehicle ignition system to prevent it from starting if the driver is over the limit.  

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Research said: “Worldwide, integrating technology, such as alcolocks, with rehabilitation courses, has been shown to be the most effective way to stop drink drive reoffending and reduce crashes.

“Since 2010, there have been around 240 deaths a year in Great Britain involving a driver over the legal drink driving limit and in contrast to the previous decade, no progress has been made in reducing these numbers.”

The PACTS report mirrors recent research by IAM RoadSmart of over 2,000 motorists, which reveals overwhelming support from motorists to fit alcolocks in all new cars. 90 per cent of motorists support all new cars having built-in technology that immobilises the vehicle if the driver is over the limit.

From 2022 all new cars sold in Europe will be ‘alcolock enabled’ but it is up to the Government to decide how they will be used. IAM RoadSmart has previously stated they will be a useful tool to get drink drive offenders back to safer driving after a ban.

Neil added: “The evidence is clear. Nearly all motorists want new cars fitted with alcolocks to help stop the daily carnage on UK roads from drink driving and this latest PACTS report is even further endorsement.

“Apart from the human suffering caused, previous campaigns from IAM RoadSmart have found that the personal cost of a drink drive conviction could be as high as £70,000 when considering factors such as legal fees, higher car insurance premiums, alternative transport costs and potential loss of earnings following conviction – and that’s on top of possible imprisonment, lengthy bans and substantial fines.

“In the meantime, our message is clear. It must always be None for the Road”.

Read the full findings of the PACTS ‘Locking out the drink driver – using alcohol interlocks to reduce drink driving in the UK’, here.

90% of motorists want speed cameras to check for vehicle tax, insurance and MOT

The UK’s largest independent road safety charity is urging the police to take notice of UK motorists who are calling for them to better utilise equipment already available for speed detection to ensure vehicles have valid insurance, MOT and Vehicle Excise Duty (often referred to as road tax).

The findings come from new research conducted by IAM RoadSmart, which has revealed that nine-in-ten (90 per cent) motorists, who were surveyed as part of the charity’s annual Safety Culture Report, backed the idea that speed cameras should also be used to catch drivers who are flouting these motoring violations.

Estimates suggest that someone is injured every 20 minutes on UK roads by an uninsured driver* and that more than a quarter of motorists don’t even know when their vehicle’s next MOT is due, while there’s around 630,000 unlicenced vehicles in the UK.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “These results paint a very clear picture. Law-abiding motorists are in favour of the police using existing equipment to help make our roads safer by catching motorists who think the rules don’t apply to them.

“Of course, the primary purpose of catching speeding motorists is paramount but it should not be overlooked the suffering that drivers of vehicles which are uninsured, unlicenced and without a valid MOT can cause other road users.”

Meanwhile, further findings from the in-depth research of motorist attitudes by IAM RoadSmart discovered that an overwhelming majority, (82 per cent), also supported using cameras to automatically fine drivers who run red lights in urban areas.

The research also found that 80 per cent of motorists were in favour of using cameras to automatically fine drivers who drive more than 10mph over the speed limit on residential streets.

Neil added: “There is no excuse for speeding, driving uninsured, unlicenced or without a valid MOT. If speed camera partnerships are issuing speeding tickets they should also follow up on a wider range of offences and this is backed by the vast majority of drivers. 

“Getting law breakers off our roads could significantly help reduce the number of casualties caused by motorists with no regard for their motoring responsibilities.”

Life in the fast lane?

Pensioners have more penalty points than young drivers

There are more than 304,000 pensioners (over 65s) currently driving on UK roads with penalty points on their licence, nearly 25 times the number of young teenage drivers – of which there are just over 12,000 with penalty points.  

The findings, which came from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the DVLA by the UK’s largest independent road safety charity – IAM RoadSmart – also revealed that the oldest person driving with points on their licence was 102 while there are more than 3,000 over the age of 90 currently driving with penalty points.

Overall, there are more drivers in their 30s with penalty points than any other age range (575,029), closely followed by those in their 40s (572,238) and then by those in their 50s (568,511). The highest single age with the greatest number of people with points was 49 (63,248).

Additional findings from the FOI discovered that there is up to 8,800 people still driving with more than 12 points – the amount at which you are disqualified – while the highest number of penalty points currently held by one individual is 68.  

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “The findings from our Freedom of Information request are surprising. Speeding and other motoring misdemeanours are often associated with younger drivers but the findings clearly show there is a large number of older drivers also flouting the rules.

“Regardless of age, the message we need to get through is that road safety is paramount and we urge drivers of all ages to stick to the speed limits and ensure their vehicles are in a roadworthy condition.

“We also urge government to urgently revisit the issue of drivers with more than 12 points who still have not had their licences revoked. IAM RoadSmart has been raising this issue for almost a decade now and the problem still persists.

“It’s not by chance that certain drivers amass 12 or more points and they need to be removed from the public roads. By letting them keep their licence it undermines the simple “four strikes and you’re out” message and this urgently needs to be addressed.”

Scotland sets route for world-class road safety by 2030

The Scottish Road Safety Framework, with input from IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, has set the goal of having the best road safety performance in the world by 2030.

Central to the road safety vision for Scotland, fully endorsed by IAM RoadSmart, is the ‘Safe System’ approach with its five core pillars which include: Safe Road Use, Safe Vehicles, Safe Speeds, Safe Roads and Roadsides and Post-Crash Response.

IAM RoadSmart, a strong advocate of road safety targets, is also using last week’s Scottish announcement to urge the Department for Transport to reinstate targets in England.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “For every nation, the setting of road safety targets has been a catalyst for improvement in road deaths and injury numbers.

“Road safety organisations across the UK agree that targets work but the Department for Transport in London no longer use them. So today we have to ask the question, if Scotland can set road safety targets, why can’t England?”

Indeed, the unveiled Scottish Road Safety Framework sets a clear strategy for improvements while working alongside other government policies in environment, health and transport.

Meanwhile, IAM RoadSmart is also welcoming the inclusion of targeting the improvement in the number of motorists involved in accidents while driving for work, an area in which it is well placed to help Scottish companies adopt best practice in fleet safety.

The adoption of specific measures to promote safer motorcycling is also strongly welcomed by IAM RoadSmart.

However, while welcoming the announcement, IAM RoadSmart has urged a word of caution. Neil added: “It is vital that investment in road safety does not become a victim of any post pandemic spending cuts.

“Given the broad nature of the impact road safety has this should include protected funding for Police Scotland to deliver enforcement, Road Safety Scotland to deliver education campaigns, and for Transport Scotland and local councils to deliver engineering solutions and maintain our existing roads properly.”

To download Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030, click here.

Speeding less acceptable than five years ago, new research reveals

New research from the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has revealed some positive long-term trends in relation to speeding behaviour in the UK with motorists now considering it less acceptable to speed than they did five years ago.

The findings come after recent provisional figures, released by the Department for Transport, highlighted that the number of UK road deaths was down significantly compared to the previous year due to less traffic being on the roads due to COVID-19.

IAM RoadSmart’s annual Safety Culture Report, which tracks drivers’ changing attitudes to key road safety issues over time, discovered that while there was a significant improvement towards speeding the figures were still worryingly high.

Out of the 2,000 motorists surveyed, 43 per cent (down from 55 per cent in 2016) thought it was acceptable to drive up to 80mph on a motorway and that 23 per cent (down from 28 per cent in 2016) thought it was acceptable to drive even faster than that.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “While there are signs of improvement, the results of this survey are still deeply concerning and there is clearly much more work to do on education and training.

“Speeding consistently causes more than 4,400 casualties on UK roads each year, which is an average of 12 people a day killed or injured on UK roads.”

The vast majority of drivers find it unacceptable to speed in towns and this has remained basically unchanged in the last five years. However, a disconcerting one in five of those surveyed still think it is acceptable to drive five miles-per-hour over the speed limit on a residential street and nearly one in ten thought it was acceptable to drive at these speeds outside a school. 

Overwhelming support for twelve-month minimum learning period for new drivers

New research conducted by IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, has found overwhelming support for a 12-month minimum learning period for new drivers before they are allowed to take the practical driving test.

In its in-depth survey of more than 2,000 motorists, the charity found that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) strongly backed the suggestion that all new drivers, regardless of age, should undergo at least a year’s training and supervised practice before being allowed to take their practical test.

And while the Government committed to investigating some form of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) in 2019, including the possibility of a 12-month minimum learning period as a key component, they have still not offered any firm conclusions.

IAM RoadSmart is therefore calling for urgent action on this issue. The charity, citing the evidence presented to the recent House of Commons Transport Committee Inquiry into Young and Novice Drivers along with the strong public support demonstrated in this latest study, says that a move to Graduated Driver Licensing is a crucial step forward in improved road safety.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “The Government must listen to the concerns of the vast majority of motorists who clearly understand the long-term safety benefits that a 12-month minimum learning period for all new drivers would bring.

“A lifetime of safe driving starts by gaining the right experience behind the wheel. Even the Government’s own statistics show that one in five new drivers crash within their first year on the road, so a longer learning period can only help make our roads safer for all road users.”

Meanwhile, the study found that around two-thirds (65 per cent) of people also support more encouragement for post-test training, believing that it would be beneficial for drivers to improve their skills through advanced driver training and testing. This rises to 71 per cent among drivers aged 17 to 49.

Neil added: “Lessons learnt at the start of your driving career can pay dividends and if new drivers had longer to experience all road types, in all weathers and at all times of the day and night before their test, the benefits can only increase. Experienced license holders need to update their observation, anticipation and planning skills too, to ensure they remain safe throughout their driving and riding careers.”

Pothole ‘threat to personal safety’

Potholes overtake texting and drink driving in problem ratings

Potholes are perceived by motorists to be a much more significant concern on the road than they were three years ago, overtaking texting and drink driving as a worsening problem according to the findings of a new report from the UK’s largest road safety charity.

IAM RoadSmart’s annual Safety Culture Report, which tracks drivers’ changing attitudes to key road safety issues over time, discovered that three in four motorists (75 per cent) now perceive potholes to be a bigger issue for road users than they were three years ago. This was followed by driver distraction (68 per cent) – such as texting or talking on a mobile phone – and traffic congestion (65 per cent).

Further findings from the report, now in its sixth year and which involves surveying more than 2,000 motorists, also discovered that around nine in ten (89 per cent) drivers have been affected by potholes over the last year.

Meanwhile, just over one in three (31 per cent) drivers had changed their route to avoid a pothole with, more worryingly, more than half (54 per cent) having had to steer away or brake hard to avoid impact and damage.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “The pothole situation on UK roads has now become much more than just irritating, it’s a significant threat to personal safety.

“We simply can’t have vehicles swerving into oncoming traffic or slamming on their brakes without warning to avoid them. Deteriorating roads also put pedestrians and cyclists at greater risk.

“It is clearly a sign of the times when motorists perceive potholes to be a bigger growing concern to them than drink driving and texting. And while the statistics show that the devastating impacts of using a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or using a mobile phone when driving still remain, it does highlight that it is time for government to take potholes seriously and fix the UK’s road network.”

Regionally, eight in ten (81 per cent) motorists in the South East considered potholes to be a bigger road safety issue than three years ago, compared with around six in ten in London (61 per cent) and the North East (64 per cent).

It is currently estimated that there are some 42,675 miles of UK roads classed as being in POOR structural condition, costing an estimated £11.14 billion to bring them up to a level which they could be maintained cost effectively going forward, according to Asphalt Industry Alliance*.

However, IAM RoadSmart’s research found of those motorists who had experienced a pothole only around one in ten (12 per cent) had enough damage to their car caused by the pothole to require a repair and only around one in six (16 per cent) had reported a pothole to the authorities.

Less than one in ten (7 per cent) made a claim for the damage.

Crash statistics raise concerns over volume of cycling casualties

Figures released by the Department for Transport have revealed that UK traffic collisions in the 12 months up to June 2020 are down 16 per cent and road deaths have reduced by 14 per cent compared to the equivalent period in the preceding year.

The research indicated that there were 131,220 casualties of all severities (compared to 156,034 previously) and 1,580 road deaths (down from 1,827 the previous year), representing significant reductions.

The decline in UK road deaths and casualties is directly linked to the reduction in traffic as a result of national lockdown restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, for example, during the first lockdown which commenced on 23rd March, casualties fell by 67 per cent as road traffic reduced by 49 per cent.

Neil Greig, Director of Policy & Research at the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, said: “Despite fears that speeding has increased substantially during the first lockdown it does now look as if the number of casualties has gone down in line with falling traffic numbers. This is certainly good news as it shows that the vast majority of car, van and lorry stuck drivers to the rules. 

“However, the only way to confirm these trends and measure the true impact of local traffic closures and temporary cycle lanes is for the government to publish more details on what has happened throughout the rest of 2020. 

“IAM RoadSmart thinks that it is unacceptable that we may have to wait until June 2021 to get the full picture for UK road safety during the pandemic. Other countries seem to be able to produce crash statistics much more quickly, allowing planners to deal with safety issues as they emerge and not after the event.”

While the reduction in overall casualties is good news for road safety generally, the reduction in casualties for cyclists were however less impressive, with the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured down just four per cent in the period covered by the DfT’s report, compared with 26 per cent of car users and 25 per cent for all other road users in the same period.

Neil concluded: “While motor traffic reduced as a result of national lockdowns, cycling traffic increased and there has unfortunately not been the same positive impact on cycling casualties when compared with other road users.

“We therefore urge all road users to continue to be extra vigilant for cyclists as more people take to their bikes during lockdown.”  

The full report from DfT can be found here.

Better training is essential to make ADAS a safety benefit and not a potential hazard

Vehicle manufacturers, dealerships, DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency) and driving instructors should include a comprehensive lesson for motorists on how to use advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) so they are a road safety benefit and not a potential hazard, says IAM RoadSmart.

The urgent call has been made by the UK’s largest independent road safety charity following the publication of a highly influential report by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) entitled ‘How to maximize the road safety benefits of ADAS’.

Some of the most widely known ADAS – many of which will become mandatory in new vehicles from July 2022 – include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking systems, lane keeping assist and driver monitoring for drowsiness and distraction recognition.

However, awareness and understanding of these systems is generally low among drivers. The FIA’s report finds that most users do not receive any training when first encountering ADAS but have to rely on information from the user manual, and most alarmingly by applying a ‘trial-and-error’ method.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy & Research, said: “Advanced driver assistance systems have the potential to improve road safety, but only if used correctly.

“If used incorrectly, not least without a full understanding of what the systems are and are not capable of, they can have the opposite effect, with potentially worrying consequences for all road users.

“IAM RoadSmart therefore believes the time has now come to include a comprehensive lesson from every car dealer supplying vehicles and further, for more about ADAS to be included in the UK driving test. This is crucial as these tools begin to be supplied as standard on an increasing number of vehicles.”

Meanwhile, further recommendations from the FIA report, which IAM RoadSmart endorses, include a comprehensive explanation to end-users of the systems’ limitations, more consistently accurate functioning of ADAS in practice and the introduction of fail-safe communications to alert users if any of the systems fail, helping to mitigate any potential road safety risk.

Neil added: “There needs to be a much higher emphasis on educating drivers in the best use of technology. Vehicle manufacturers and car dealerships are key, ensuring that when a customer drives off the forecourt they understand and use the various safety systems correctly.

“Until this becomes the norm, IAM RoadSmart is exploring the potential for video tutorials that will plug the current gap.” (See below)