RAC identifies six key road safety priorities for government

The RAC has identified better road surfaces and fairer fuel priorities as priority issues for the next government to address.

In its ‘Deliver for drivers – priorities for the next government’ report, it has singled out six key areas that it wants the government to focus on in order to improve road safety and deliver for the 40 million drivers in the UK.

They are:

• Better local roads
• Fairer fuel prices
• A road safety reset
• Reduce the motor insurance tax burden
• Support the transition to EVs
• Ensure civil motoring offences are enforced fairly

It has based its findings on its own annual Report on Motoring.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:

“From potholes to pump prices, and from private parking operators to public EV charging, there was always going to be a lot sitting in the new government’s in-tray come 4 July. If our six key priorities, all of which are supported by data and research with drivers, are implemented over the course of the next parliamentary term they will bring meaningful benefits for road users up and down the country.

“We’ll be using this list to evaluate each of the main party’s election manifestoes as they’re launched this week and hope that ministers-to-be do indeed ‘deliver for drivers’ by taking heed of their most pressing concerns, not least those connected to the high cost of living.”

Better local roads

RAC research has revealed that the state of local roads is drivers’ number one concern. It is calling on government to support cash-strapped councils by guaranteeing increased funding for road maintenance over a long-term period and commit to ringfencing some general taxation to pay for this.

It also wants councils to commit to significantly increasing the levels of proactive road maintenance – surface dressing and resurfacing – and move away from the symptomatic approach of merely filling in potholes.

Fuel prices

Higher fuel costs are the second largest concern for drivers. The RAC is calling for the swift introduction of Pump Watch scheme as legislated by the previous government, and for the Competitions and Markets Authority to ensure fair prices are delivered across the UK.

It also urged the new government to maintain the current 5p duty until at least spring 2026.

Road safety

The RAC wants the next government to reintroduce formal road casualty reduction targets, convert all-lane running stretches of smart motorway to either controlled motorways with hard shoulders permanently restored, or to dynamic hard shoulder schemes – where a hard shoulder is in place for much of the day and night.

It also backs the introduction of a Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) scheme and further research into the dangers of headlight glare.

Tax

The report is calling for a reduction in Insurance Premium Tax from its current 12% which is compounding the recent rises in motor insurance, the burden of which is felt far more by younger and more inexperienced drivers who pay the highest premiums.

Electric vehicles

To support further electrification, the RAC backs the reintroduction of a plug-in car grant aimed at stimulating the cheaper end of the new car market. It also wants to see a reduction on VAT on public EV charging from 20% to match the five per cent.

Enforcement

The RAC wants government to ensure councils use new moving traffic offence powers fairly regarding yellow box junctions, and to prioritise publishing the revised Parking Code of Practice to prevent drivers being unfairly fined by private parking operators.