Safer roads for all: IAM RoadSmart manifesto calls on political parties to prioritise road safety

• Manifesto calls for all parties to commit to an updated road safety strategy and a national roads renewal programme
• Focus should be on skills, infrastructure, and enforcement

The UK’s largest independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has published its manifesto “safer roads for all” calling on all political parties to bring forward plans to reduce the numbers of killed and seriously injured (KSIs) on our roads following last week’s announcement that a general election will be held on the 4^th July.

More than 16,000 lives* have been lost on Britain’s roads since 2013, far more than from the rail or aviation sectors during the same period. In 2022 alone, there were 1,766 fatalities** in the UK (1,711 in Great Britain and 55 in Northern Ireland), the equivalent of around three Airbus A380 super jumbo jet*** incidents resulting in total loss of life. As detailed in the manifesto, around 35,000 hospital admissions in 2019**** resulted from a collision on the road while the total economic cost of collisions in 2022 was estimated to be around £43bn*****. This underlines not only the moral obligation to improve safety on our roads but also the economic case to tackle dangers on the network.

“Safer roads for all” outlines key policy changes which IAM RoadSmart believes will reduce KSIs on the road network and focuses on changing behaviour and improving infrastructure including:

• An expansion of driver rehabilitation courses for drink-driving and rolling out a programme for drug-drivers
• A commitment to introduce a form of graduated driver licensing (GDL) for new drivers
• Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) breaks for better skilled drivers
• A review of enforcement of illegal mobile phone use at the wheel
• Ringfencing some tax receipts to fix our pothole-riddled roads
• Decommissioning all lane running (ALR) smart motorways
• Improving major A-road infrastructure
• Reviewing speed limits on rural country roads
• Supporting 20mph speed limited areas with high-quality infrastructure for motorists and cyclists
• Introducing regulation of private e-scooter use which includes training
• Reducing the cost and simplifying motorcycle licensing
• Reviewing driving for work standards
  

The manifesto also calls on policymakers to support the take-up of zero-tailpipe emission vehicles and driving assistance aids by putting a greater emphasis on improving consumer knowledge of technological advances in the sector to support a safe systems approach.

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said:

“Road death is one of the leading causes of fatalities among the under-25s. We would never accept so many fatalities if these figures were replicated on our railways or in the aviation sector, which is why we’re calling on whoever gets the keys to Number 10 to prioritise road safety by focusing on changing behaviours and improving infrastructure.

“The sheer number of deaths on our roads in the last ten years isn’t just scandalous: for each of those who have lost their lives there are families and friends who have been devastated by tragedy and want to see action taken.

“In addition to this, the impact that collisions have on our health service and our economy costs billions. Therefore, the message is that safer roads not only prevent death and serious injury but also reduce stress on our NHS and our economy.”

The document can be found here.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

^{* https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain RAS0101
** https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain RAS0101
*** The A380 allows 545 seats in a standard 4-class configuration https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2021-12/EN-Airbus-A380-Facts-and-Figures-December-2021_0.pdf
**** https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain RAS 4104
****** https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain RAS 4001}

Press contacts:

1. Press office – +44 (0) 20 8996 9777 – press.office@iam.org.uk
2. Nicholas Lyes, Director of Policy and Standards, IAM Roadsmart
3. Harriet Hernando, PR and press manager, IAM RoadSmart

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Media centre: https://media.iamroadsmart.com/

About IAM RoadSmart

IAM RoadSmart is the UK’s largest road safety charity. It has a vision of a society where all road users can safely and sustainably use the public highways together. It does this through a range of means including through the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart was formed in March 1956 and has around 75,000 members that supports its campaigns on road safety. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit: www.iamroadsmart.com

ENDS ALL