IAM RoadSmart has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to maintain the fuel duty freeze in next week’s Autumn Budget and take action to save lives and reduce the impact of road traffic collisions.
Speculation is fast growing that Reeves will restore inflationary fuel duty rises as well as ending the temporary cut, and fuel duty is expected to rise by up to 7p a litre after the Budget.
But IAM RoadSmart has urged the Government to “give motorists some breathing space” by retaining fuel duty levels at the current 52.95p after a period of record-high fuel prices over the last two years.
Research by the road safety charity shows that the two biggest concerns for motorists are either costs or the state of the roads. The charity says the Chancellor should maintain the current 5p cut that was introduced in 2022 or, if the rate is increased, partially ringfence the money raised into repairing Britain’s crumbling road network and filling in potholes.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards, said: “Not only will this save motorists money in repairs, it will more importantly save lives, especially for those travelling on two wheels where the impact of hitting a pothole is likely to be far more severe.”
The charity is also urging the Government to reduce insurance premium tax (IPT) from 12% to zero for those who undertake additional driver training in a radical move to cut insurance costs and boost road safety.
The cost of insurance reached record highs earlier this year, with the average premium costing around £600. The average premium for under 25s is now more than £2,000.
Research by IAM RoadSmart shows an increase of 25% in the number of drivers aged 17-20 being caught driving without insurance between 2022-2023.
While the Government has created a new taskforce to tackle spiralling insurance costs, IAM RoadSmart said incentivising the take-up of additional road safety courses through the tax system would will also help save motorists money as the UK emerges from a cost-of-living crisis.
“By encouraging drivers to upskill and save on their premiums, countless deaths and serious injuries will be prevented,” Lyes added.
To provide a boost to vulnerable motorcyclists, IAM RoadSmart also wants the Chancellor to reduce VAT on motorcycle air vests – a move that would also reduce the cost to the emergency services.
Finally, with an ageing population, the charity calls on the Treasury to allocate funding to allow GPs to prescribe mature driver assessments, preventing deaths involving elderly drivers.
Lyes said: “The modest initial cost could make a huge difference if it encourages otherwise unsafe drivers to stop driving. Likewise, if older drivers need reassurance that they are still fit to drive, this will give them confidence behind the wheel and have a wider societal benefit.”
