Annual Report 2005/2006
Introduction by the Chairman
Chapter 1: The Motorists' Forum
Independent Review of the Commission for Integrated Transport and the Motorists' Forum
2005/2006 Highlights
Members
Secretariat
Chapter 2: Advising on Specific Topics
Road Safety and Speed Management
Work-Related Road Safety
Local Authority Parking Attendants/Administration of the Congestion Charge Scheme in London
Motorway Speed Limits
Transport Taxation
Climate Change
Insurance Related Matters
General Motoring Related Matters
Chapter 3: Raising Issues of Concerns to Motorists
Traffic Policing
Penalties
Road Workers
Chapter 4: Work in Progress
"Respect on the Road"
Road Pricing
Annex A: Terms of Reference
Annex B: Other Positions Held by Members Relevant to the Work of the Forum
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Introduction by the Chairman
The challenges facing motorists and the motor
industry over the past year have continued to
exercise the minds of politicians, the press and
public alike.
At the Motorists' Forum, it has as ever been a
busy 12 months and we have not been short of
problems to concern us or issues to pursue.
It has been very good that once again we have
been able to raise motorists' concerns directly
with Ministers. We are heartened that
Government continues to listen carefully to our
advice on major motoring policy issues and
initiatives.
There have been significant changes in
transport personalities this year - not least the
departure after 6 years of the first ever Chair of
the Commission for Integrated Transport,
David Begg. I would like to take this
opportunity publicly to thank David for the
support he gave me in my role as Chairman of
the Forum. He has been an inspirational figure
and leaves a legacy which I know that new
CfIT Chair, Peter Hendy, is determined to live
up to.
We have also welcomed a new Transport
Secretary, Douglas Alexander, and said
farewell to Alistair Darling whose service in
that post was one of the longest in recent
memory. I am grateful to Alistair for always
being keen to use our experience and
expertise and for listening, carefully and
thoughtfully, to what we had to say.
We have once again focused this year in a
major way on road safety - an issue to which
we make no apology for returning. Although
we compare well on a European and
international scale, there are still too many
deaths and injuries on the UK's roads and,
there is still huge progress to make in this
area.
Over the past year, we undertook a detailed
investigation of speed management. Our report - Road safety and speed management - concluded that the management of speed will
be an immensely important element in any
successful effort to reduce deaths and injuries
on the roads. This is an issue that we must all
be prepared to face.
Identifying a strategy which is effective but also
commands the support of the motoring public
is not straightforward. We therefore
recommended a 'Deal' between the key
participants, involving co-ordinated action
across a range of areas such as driver
behaviour, engineering, technology, training,
communication and regulation.
Members of the Motorists' Forum and their
organisations have already committed
themselves to taking forward the majority of
commitments identified for each of them in the
report. We are keen to work with others in
showing how the concerted action we have
suggested can make an impact on improving
road safety. We will not be reluctant to apply
pressure where we think that action is slow in
coming.
At the same time as the launch of this report,
we have also continued our work looking at the
safety of those who drive cars or vans as part
of their work. Our earlier report on this matter - Improving work-related road safety - highlighted the need for a systematic
programme of outreach directed at employers
with the aim of raising awareness and
spreading good practice. We are delighted that
the Department for Transport has decided to
undertake such a programme. Forum
members will play a full role in ensuring the
success of the programme.
We have also offered advice during the year
on issues as diverse as local authority parking
attendants, the administration of the London
Congestion Charge Scheme, motorway speed
limits and transport taxation. And we have
raised our concerns about the levels of traffic
policing, penalties and the safety of road
workers.
I would like to thank all members of the Forum
and the Secretariat for their help over the past
year. Their support and commitment is central
to the high-standing in which the Forum is
held. We all look forward very much to
continuing to help and advise the new
Secretary of State and his team of Ministers in
the year ahead.
Sir Trevor Chinn
Chapter 1: The Motorists' Forum
The Commission for Integrated Transport
(CfIT) - an advisory non-departmental public
body that provides independent advice to the
Government on transport policy - was asked to
set up a group in September 1999 to advise on
policy proposals affecting motorists. CfIT
subsequently agreed to form the Motorists'
Forum. The Forum was launched formally on
31 January 2000.
The Forum seeks to improve understanding
between the Government and motoring
interests and car users. It ensures that
motoring interests and car users' views are
reflected fully in the development of both
Government and local authority policies
affecting motorists. The Forum also acts as a
channel for early communication with
Government on its emerging proposals
affecting motorists.
The Forum takes its work forward recognising
that the car will continue to be the first choice
of transport for many people for their
employment, leisure and social activities. But it
also recognises that unless the car is used
responsibly, traffic congestion will take away
the very convenience motorists so value in
using their cars and will damage the
environment.
The Forum meets in Plenary session four
times a year. However, where appropriate, detailed work is taken forward by Working
Groups. These Groups draw on the experience
and expertise of many relevant organisations
going well beyond those represented on the
Plenary. Reports drawn up by Working Groups
are submitted to the full Forum for
consideration before being presented to
Ministers.
Full details of the Forum's activities - including
reports, Plenary agendas and minutes - are
published on the Forum's website at www.cfit.gov.uk/mf/.
The Forum's Terms of Reference are at Annex A.
Independent Review of the Commission for Integrated Transport and the Motorists' Forum
A review of the work of CfIT and the Forum
was undertaken in 2003. The purpose of this
review was to examine the roles of both CfIT
and the Forum and to consider whether they
remained relevant and necessary to the
delivery of Government policy. The review also
considered the case for changes to the remit,
structure and processes of either body.
The review concluded that the Forum had
demonstrated its capacity to do good work,
was useful to its sponsoring Department (DfT)
and other Government Departments and
provided good value for money. The
overwhelming majority of interviewees and
questionnaire respondents contacted as part of
the review felt that the Forum did a good job,
praised the Forum for the work that it did and
considered that it was valued by its customers
and stakeholders.
After consideration of the findings, the Rt. Hon.
Alistair Darling, the former Secretary of State
for Transport accepted the recommendations
in full and concluded that the Forum should
retain both its current remit and structure.
2005/2006 Highlights
Over the past year, the Forum has continued
its role as a constructive and respected adviser
to Government Ministers, officials and other
interested parties in ensuring that motoring
and motorists' interests continue to be
represented fully within the transport agenda.
The Forum has undertaken a major review into
road safety following a request from The Rt.
Hon. Alistair Darling, the former Secretary of
State for Transport, for the Forum to undertake
a more detailed investigation of speed
management. We have also continued our work in the field of work-related road safety
following our study into this matter launched in
May 2005.
We are currently engaged in two major
projects. The first is looking at how motorists
can be encouraged to behave in a "respectful"
way when they are on the roads; and we are
just about to begin a major study into road
pricing which will look at what can be done to
introduce road pricing efficiently and effectively
using existing technologies and business
systems.
The Forum has also continued to act as a
useful vehicle for debate with Government and
others on emerging policies - for example on
motorway speed limits and transport taxation.
(See Chapter 2). We are pleased to have been
able to meet officials from the Highways
Agency, Transport for London and DfT's
Driver, Vehicle and Operator Group to discuss
their future work programmes.
In addition, the Forum has continued to raise
with Government and others issues of concern
to motorists where the Forum wishes to
challenge existing policy or priorities for action
- such as reduced levels of traffic policing and
the need for deterrent penalties for those who
wilfully drive dangerously. (See Chapter 3).
Members
Sir Trevor Chinn chairs the Forum. (Sir
Trevor's tenure as the Vice-Chair of CfIT
expired in June 2004 but he continues to
attend CfIT's Plenaries at the personal
invitation of the CFIT Chair - thus ensuring the
link between CfIT and the Forum is continued).
Other members are drawn from leaders in their
fields from a wide cross-section of the
motoring community. Members are invited to
join the Forum in a representative capacity.
However, Forum members do not just speak
for their organisations. As well as being
experts in their field, they are also able to bring
a strategic understanding of motoring issues
and concerns to the table. The Forum is thus
able to bring experts together to hear and
understand the views of other parts of the
motoring world within the wider integrated
transport strategy.
The Forum is comprised as follows:
Sir Trevor Chinn CVO (Chair)
Chief Constable Stephen Green QPM, Chief
Constable, Nottinghamshire Police; Chairman,
Association of Chief Police Officers Roads
Policing Operation Forum.
Debbie Hewitt, Managing Director, RAC.
David Holmes CB, Chairman, RAC
Foundation.
Chris Hunt, Director General, UK Petroleum
Industry Association.
John Lewis, Director General, British Vehicle
Rental and Leasing Association.
Christopher Macgowan, Chief Executive,
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Kate Nash, Chief Executive, The Royal
Association for Disability and Rehabilitation.
Tim Parker, Chief Executive, The Automobile
Association.
Michael Roberts, Director, Business
Environment, Confederation of British Industry.
Archie Robertson OBE, Chief Executive,
Highways Agency.
Colin Skeen, Chairman, The AA Motoring
Trust.
Stephen Sklaroff, Deputy Director General,
Association of British Insurers.
Roelant de Waard, Chairman and Managing
Director, Ford Motor Company Ltd.
There are currently vacancies for
representatives from The Local Government
Association and The National Society for
Clean Air and Environmental Protection to be
appointed to the Forum.
Steve Gooding, Director, Roads Performance
and Strategy Directorate acts as the Department for Transport (DfT) advisor to the
Forum.
Secretariat
David Prescott, Secretary to the Motorists' Forum.
Joe Carey, Motorists' Forum Secretariat.
Any other positions held by members that are relevant to the work of the Forum are at Annex B.
Over the past year, the following have also represented their organisations on the Forum:
Tony Brown, former Member, Local
Government Association.
Douglas Campbell OBE, former Executive
Director, The Disabled Drivers' Association.
Martin Joseph, former Chief Executive,
National Society for Clean Air and
Environmental Protection.
Simon Machell, Chief Executive, Norwich
Union.
Bert Morris, Director, The AA Motoring Trust.
John Mumford OBE, Vice President, UK
Region BP plc, UK Petroleum Industry
Association.
Roger Putnam, former Chairman, Ford Motor
Company Ltd.
Ben Welsh, Corporate Affairs Director,
Norwich Union.
Chapter 2: Advising on Specific Topics
The Forum has continued to act over the past
year as a consultative body for Government in
the preparation of its policies on motoring
issues. Areas where the Forum has helped
Government to shape its policies are:
Road Safety and Speed Management
In 2003, the Motorists' Forum undertook a
detailed assessment of the delivery of the
Government's road safety strategy on behalf of
CfIT. The Government committed to work with
CfIT to develop the road safety strategy in its
first three year review of the strategy.
CfIT subsequently invited the Forum to provide
a further report to the Commission.
Additionally, in April 2004, The Rt. Hon. Alistair
Darling, the former Secretary of State for
Transport, requested the Forum to undertake a
more detailed investigation of speed
management.
In order to provide advice on this significant
and high profile road safety issue, the Forum
set up a Road Safety Working Group. The
Group was charged with considering the
effectiveness of existing measures; to advise
on how driver and public awareness could be
raised; and how existing and new measures
could be persuasive, positive and attractive
and obtain maximum benefit.
The Group's report concluded that the
management of speed is an important element
in any successful effort to reduce deaths and
injuries on the roads but also acknowledged
that to devise a strategy which is both effective
and commands the support of the motoring
public is not straightforward. Recognising that
the interaction between the road, the vehicle
and the driver is complex, and that effective
action will involve many players, the report
called for a commitment to programmes of
coordinated action in a whole range of areas
including driver behaviour, engineering,
technology, training, communication,
regulation and its enforcement. This
commitment to coordinated action was called 'The Deal'.
The key issues the report proposed should be
taken forward as quickly as possible included:
By Government:
- finalising the updated guidance to Traffic Authorities on setting local speed limits by the end of 2005 at the latest and monitoring and reviewing its implementation.
- stimulating innovation and experiment and disseminating best practice by demonstration projects and other means.
- providing increased resources for local authority road safety improvements.
- facilitating the establishment of a national e-database of speed limits, and generally facilitating the emergence of in-car information technology.
By drivers:
- taking a pride in their driving.
- driving at an appropriate speed for road and traffic conditions.
- undertaking further training, or re-training, at appropriate times in a driving career.
- giving full attention to driving at all times and being considerate to other people on the road.
By local highway authorities:
- ensuring our road systems are safe, intelligible and predictable.
- giving appropriate priority to investing in measures designed to improve road safety.
- ensuring speed limits are clearly signposted.
- reviewing the speed limits on all roads in the light of guidance in the new DfT Circular on the setting of local speed limits.
By enforcement authorities:
- implementing the police pledge in the Roads Policing Strategy to challenge the whole range of road police issues, including unlawful and unruly behaviour as well as speeding.
- signing speed limits on safety cameras and warning signs.
- involving Safety Camera Partnerships with the Road Safety Forum arrangements.
- offering the option of attending a speed awareness course, operated to national guidelines, to all first time offenders as an alternative to an automatic penalty.
By the motor industry:
- continuing to support the development of new in-car information technology systems and the development of devices for collision avoidance and damage minimisation.
- taking up of new technology opportunities by fleet operators and company fleets.
- introducing such technology into the vehicles of rental companies.
By the insurance industry:
- encouraging new technology developments designed to reduce collision risk by rewarding those who use such technology.
- continuing to offer incentives for motorists to undertake effective training courses and to drive safely.
- working with other interested parties to make insurance more affordable for young drivers and to reward those young drivers who undertake additional training.
By motoring organisations:
- committing to reinforcing road safety messages, particularly as regards the importance of driving at an appropriate speed.
- reinforcing the message that people should be fully trained and up to the task of driving under current circumstances.
By employers:
- having a Health and Safety policy dealing with the risks of work-related driving in place.
- having a top-level commitment to work-related road safety in an organisation.
- having adequate systems in place for carrying out risk assessments and delivering training.
- monitoring performance to ensure that a work-related road safety policy is effective.
In subsequent discussions with Government,
members of the Forum have committed to take
forward the overwhelming majority of
commitments that fall within their responsibility.
Work-Related Road Safety
In May 2005, the Forum published a report
setting out its advice on how employers could
be encouraged to give a higher priority to road
safety for those who drive cars or vans as part
of their work.
There were two key findings emanating from
our work - namely that effective management
of work-related road safety can lead to
companies making substantial cost savings
and that there is already a plethora of sources
of good advice on how to improve safety. The
main focus of our report was, therefore, in
suggesting measures which would raise
awareness and management focus of good
work-related road safety practice.
These measures included introducing a
requirement for employers to report incidents
relating to on-the-road work activities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) and
support for an organisation undertaking a
systematic programme of outreach designed to co-ordinate a network of employer champions
drawn from public, private and voluntary
sectors who would work through employer
networks and associations to deliver
awareness. (The report's full recommendations
are set out in the Forum's Annual Report 2004-2005).
Since the issue of this report, we have
continued to work with Government and others
to ensure that this important issue is kept to
the fore.
The Forum responded to the consultation
exercise conducted by the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) on whether work-related road
traffic incidents should be reportable under RIDDOR. At present, the existing HSE policy
on work-related road traffic accidents is based
on the premise that it does not generally seek
to apply Health and Safety legislation where
there is more detailed and specific law that
adequately protects public and worker safety
(in this case, the Road Traffic Acts and other
relevant legislation). This means that there is
currently no requirement to include road
accident injuries within RIDDOR.
Our response made clear we consider it
inappropriate for incidents that arise from
driving undertaken during the course of work to
be excluded from these reporting
requirements, and thus to fall outside the
scrutiny and responsibility directors have for
the safe operation of their businesses.
Accordingly, we recommended that a
requirement for employers to report serious
incidents relating to on-the-road work activities
under RIDDOR should be introduced. We did
not suggest that each incident should be
investigated, believing that the main benefit of
introducing such a reporting regime would be
to help signal the need for greater focus in this
area by company boards.
We believe making this change would send a
powerful signal in tune with the Government's
wider road safety strategy and would positively
affirm that Government sees work-related driving as a key aspect of workplace health
and safety. The scale of work-related driving
incidents in the road safety casualty statistics
provides a strong argument for change. We
are in no doubt that failing to make this change
will be a missed opportunity for Government to
signal its clear intent to reduce the toll of death
and injury on our roads.
We are very pleased that DfT plans to make
work-related road safety a priority in its THINK!
Strategy for the next three years. In particular,
we are delighted that DfT intends to take up
our suggestion of introducing a systematic
programme of outreach directed at employers
with the aim of raising awareness and
spreading good practice.
Local Authority Parking Attendants/Administration of the Congestion Charge Scheme in London
The alleged excesses of local authority parking
attendants in enforcing parking restrictions is
an issue that continues to generate much
publicity in the media and correspondence in
motoring organisations' mailbags.
The Forum set up a Working Group to
consider whether these criticisms are valid and
to suggest ways in which the enforcement
regime could be improved. The Group did not carry out an in-depth review of the whole issue
- as this had been done elsewhere - and its
focus was on coming forward with practical
recommendations designed to improve the
system of parking enforcement.
The Group's report recognised the value of
decriminalised parking enforcement but also
highlighted a number of areas where it was felt
improvements were necessary to current
procedures. These proposals included:
- that local authorities should adopt a more
reasonable approach in drawing up their
parking strategies (so, for example,
increased observation periods before a
Penalty Charge Notice is issued);
- there should be consistent and
harmonised enforcement practices across
the country;
- local authorities should give much greater
consideration to "informal" challenges;
- the appointment of "trouble-shooters";
- that redress should be available to
motorists in cases where an independent
adjudicator has found that his or her
vehicle has been wrongly ticketed or
where a local authority fails to defend their
decision to refuse an initial appeal; and
- a series of other practical measures that
are designed to improve the operation of decriminalised parking enforcement
regimes.
The Group's report was compiled at the same
time that DfT was finalising its Statutory
Guidance to Local Authorities on the Civil
Enforcement of Parking Contraventions. We
welcome this document which provides a
reasonable blend of guidance on issues of
policy and practice without becoming too
involved in the minutiae. However, we are
concerned that there are no incentives for local
authorities to comply with the Guidance, nor
sanctions against authorities which do not
comply. We are nervous, therefore, that the
Guidance may not deter those authorities who
choose to take a narrow, subjective
interpretation of the Guidance.
The Group's report formed the basis of the
Forum's response to DfT's consultation on its
new Statutory Guidance. As part of this
consultation process, the Forum was asked to
provide further advice to DfT on the options
for, and implications of, a mechanism of
redress and options for scrutinising the
performance of local authorities, what
enforcement capabilities should be sought and
how these could be delivered. These are
issues we will return to later this year.
Our report also looked at the administration of
the Congestion Charge scheme in London. It
made a number of recommendations to
improve the system, including a new detection
system that is compatible with other systems
and the appointment of trouble-shooters. The
report also recommends that Transport for
London ensure that their systems are fully able
to respond to the demands that will be placed
on it when the scheme is extended westwards
in 2007.
Motorway Speed Limits
The 70mph motorway speed limit was
introduced in 1965 and has been the subject of
Government review on more than one
occasion. The last review was carried out in
2001. This review looked at the possible
effects of increasing the motorway speed limit
to 80mph. It concluded that raising the
motorway speed limit would run too great a
risk of increasing accidents and casualties. In
addition any increase in speed limit would
result in higher emissions of CO2 and oxides of
nitrogen and generate more noise.
The issue of whether the motorway speed limit
should be raised was also considered by the
Forum in 2001. There was unanimous
agreement that the limit should remain at
70mph provided the current enforcement regime was maintained. It was also agreed
that if the limit was to be raised to 80mph,
enforcement would need to be applied at that
level - there could be no question of an
"unofficial" 90mph limit.
However, given that one of the major
proposals in the Forum's road safety report
was that highway authorities should review the
speed Iimit on all roads, and in the light of the
recent decision to introduce safety cameras
onto sections of the M4, the Forum decided to
re-consider its position.
In discussion, the Forum recognised that the
present safety record for motorways is very
good and compares very favourably with other
types of road. It also recognised that any
increase in the speed limit could potentially
jeopardise this good record. Accordingly, there
was little support to increase the limit, even on
free-flowing sections of "controlled"
motorways, and it was agreed that the current
limit and enforcement regime should be
maintained.
Transport Taxation
We were very pleased to be able to hold
discussions about transport taxation with
representatives from HM Treasury.
We recognise both the importance of a safe,
clean and efficient transport system to the
economy and the challenges facing the UK,
and all countries, as a result of climate change.
We support changes to the vehicle tax and
company car tax regimes to reflect carbon
emissions and measures to promote cleaner
fuels.
However, we did suggest that if Government
does wish the industry to introduce things like
new fuel standards, simple tax incentives
should be provided to encourage early movers.
As the take up of the incentives became
significant, a fiscally neutral system like cap
and trade could be used to encourage the
introduction of the most efficient
investments. Once the changes had become
well established, all of industry could be
brought up to the same standard by mandating
the new standard.
We also stressed that if fiscal measures were
introduced to change driver behaviour and
vehicle or fuel technology, Government
needed to ensure those incentives were
maintained over political cycles and not just for
the short term.
Climate Change
New cars are 20 times cleaner and make a
third less noise than cars bought in the 1980s.
Average new car efficiency in the UK has
improved by 10% since 1997. But huge
challenges remain and the Forum is clear that
the motor industry must continue to play its
role in tackling greenhouse gas emissions.
We have not ourselves conducted any work in
the climate change arena in this last year but
many of the organisations represented on the
Forum have been participating in the CfIT
Working Group that is seeking to establish
transport's role as part of wider efforts to
deliver the most cost-effective carbon
reductions consistent with Government's 2050
aspiration.
Insurance Related Matters
We have held a number of discussions with
the Association of British Insurers over both
their proposals to make insurance more
affordable for young drivers and over their
proposals to promote road safety and better
access to the insurance market for older
drivers.
These are important initiatives which we
support fully.
General Motoring Related Matters
We are pleased to have engaged in
discussions with a number of Government
organisations and other bodies over their plans
for the forthcoming years.
Highways Agency (HA)
We held discussions with the HA over their
Business Plan for 2006/07. The Plan is
intended to improve safety; to improve
reliability; to deliver new and novel capacity; to
look after the environment; to provide
information to help road users improve their
journeys; and to improve customer service on
the Strategic network.
We were pleased to note that the HA is on
course to meet the demanding reduction in
casualty figures it had been set for 2010 and
that they are working to make journeys more
reliable by 2007-08 on the strategic network.
The introduction of the new HA Traffic Officers
was welcomed by members and it was
recognised that they had made a positive
contribution to helping manage incidents and
keeping traffic moving.
We remain concerned that clear-up after
accidents can still be problematical (although
we do recognise that it is for the police and fire
brigade to deal with major incidents and that if
incidents do need to be investigated, this has
to be done properly). But not every incident
needs a police response and we hope that the
Agency will continue to work with its partners
in the emergency services to reduce motorway
closure times wherever possible.
Driver, Vehicle and Operator Group (DVO)
We have held discussions with DfT's DVO
Group on their future work programme. This is
designed to provide better services to its
customers; to deliver better value for money;
and better regulation and compliance.
We stressed the need for the DVO to keep
alternative measures, such as payment via the
Post Office or through the post, in place for
those who did not want, or were not able, to
use electronic means. We also stressed the
need to keep enforcement options open as the
DVO's efficiency measures were put in place.
Transport for London (TfL)
We have held discussions with TfL over the
problems faced in designing and managing
London's road and streets given the projected
growth in population and employment over the
next 10 - 15 years. TfL highlighted that an
extra 4m daily trips were likely to occur by
2025 and that increased congestion was likely,
particularly in the suburbs. TfL were looking to
develop possible solutions to these issues and
were keen to trial these with stakeholders.
In our discussions, we suggested the passage
of freight through the city needed to be
examined with a view to allowing trucks to
deliver at night. (One major company had
estimated this could take 15% of its trucks off
the road). It was agreed problems were likely
to occur in outer London suburbs but the
fragility of the economies in a number of such
areas was highlighted together with the fact
many were not well served by public transport.
Chapter 3: Raising Issues of Concerns to Motorists
Traffic Policing
The proportion of resources put into traffic
policing by police authorities has fallen
substantially in recent years - down from about
15% in 1981 to about 5% in 2003 - and this is
at a time of significant increases in traffic
levels. While we recognise both the increased
use of technology, such as Automatic Number
Plate Recognition (ANPR), for enforcement
purposes and the many and increasing calls
on police time to tackle serious crime, we are
concerned about this reduction in traffic police.
The physical presence of police on the roads
encourages responsible driving, and it is
necessary to deal with the many offences
which cannot be enforced by automatic
devices. (Research carried out by TRL has
also demonstrated that the number of motoring
offences committed by a driver is linked to the
number of non-motoring offences that he or
she commits).
We welcome the Roads Policing Strategy
which identifies speed as one of the police
priorities. However, we believe that the police
role in enforcement should not be restricted to
just dealing with speed related matters.
Indeed, our view is that the amount of
resources devoted by the respective
enforcement authorities to controlling speeding
and parking contraventions is out of balance to
the enforcement applied to other equally
important issues. For example, the number of
breath tests administered in recent years has
fallen; there is too little enforcement activity
applied to behavioural offences. We believe
strongly that the police must widen and
strengthen their overall enforcement activities
if our roads are to be policed effectively, and
therefore welcome the commitment in the
Roads Policing Strategy to the tackling of a full
range of issues, including drink driving,
careless and threatening driving and seat belt
wearing, as well as speeding.
We were very pleased to welcome the new
Head of ACPO's Road Policing Business Area,
Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes, to one of
our Plenary meetings. We very much
welcome the Chief Constable's aim of reviving
the work that traffic policing officers undertake
by improving the morale of road policing
officers and ensuring that the wider policing
community is aware of what effective roads
policing can achieve.
Penalties
Since its inception, the Forum has strongly
supported increased penalties for people who
wilfully commit major and irresponsible traffic
offences. For this reason, we are pleased to
see that Government recognises the public
concern about bad driving and intends to use
the criminal law to tackle this matter. Indeed,
the current Road Safety Bill includes a range
of measures to make our roads safer and to
introduce penalties that are effective,
proportionate and fair.
In our discussions with Government on this
matter, we have raised concerns about the low
level of fines imposed by magistrates' courts.
(Indeed, we understand some magistrates are
resigning in protest at guidelines that constrain
the penalties that can be imposed). We are in
no doubt that custodial sentences should be
imposed for serious, persistent offenders.
The Forum also supports extending the
powers to seize vehicles as a means of
imposing quicker and more appropriate justice
for those who deliberately drive outside the
law. In this respect, we understand that the
power to seize and/or destroy uninsured
vehicles is proving very effective and is being
widely used by the police to combat uninsured
driving. (For example, in one provincial police
force - which is broadly illustrative of such
forces - over a thousand uninsured vehicles
were scrapped in 2005). We hope the
Government will give serious consideration to
our suggestion that the power to seize vehicles
should be extended to other driving offences.
Road Workers
We were very concerned to learn that in 2005,
there were 5 fatalities among road workers on the HA's strategic road network - more than
double that of previous years. The average
fatality rate for this specialist group is one of
the highest for employment sectors reported
by the HSE.
We urged action to make changes to reduce
the risks for those working on the live
carriageway. Accordingly, we welcomed the
HA's Road Worker Safety Action Plan but have
also suggested to the HA that pay schemes
that encourage road workers to take risks
should not be supported.
Chapter 4: Work in Progress
"Respect on the Road"
Media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest
that people are showing an increasing lack of
"respect" on the road which manifests itself in
a variety of different ways (from illegal antisocial
behaviour with regard to road traffic law
such as driving without tax and/or insurance,
drink/drug driving and speeding through to
other anti-social behaviour such as flashing
lights, hooting, impatience, tail-gaiting,
swearing/shouting and playing loud stereos).
DfT have asked the Forum to advise on:
- the factors that cause people to behave
disrespectfully on the roads;
- the factors that cause people to behave in
a respectful way when they are on the
road, and how such behaviour can be
encouraged; and
- the factors that are most influential in
getting people to change their behaviour
e.g. family, friends, the media (local and
national newspapers, radio, TV and news
bulletins, prime-time soaps and films),
legislation, enforcement.
A Working Group is currently looking into this
matter and is due to report back to DfT in early
2007.
Road Pricing
DfT have asked the Forum to consider what
can be done to introduce road user charging
efficiently and effectively using existing
technologies and business systems and the
opportunities (and disadvantages) that could
arise for companies who align their technology
to incorporate the calculation and collection of
road prices.
The study will investigate:-
- how existing in-car systems already
offered on the market can be used to
calculate and collect road prices;
- the opportunities (and disadvantages) that
could arise for companies who align their
technology to incorporate the calculation
and collection of road prices;
- the reasons why businesses might not
wish to align their systems to the collection
of road prices; and
- the organisations the DfT should be
engaging with to refine thinking on road
pricing and how these organisations'
members can be engaged with.
There will be a second stage to this project.
Here, the Forum will develop thinking on what
a motorist should expect as part of a "contract"
with Government over the introduction of road
user charging. But work on this element of the
work will not begin until the initial study is
completed.
Annex A: Terms of Reference
Working within the framework of the Integrated
Transport White Paper and of Government's
sustainable development strategy, and
recognising that for the foreseeable future the
car will be the dominant mode of personal
transport in the UK, the Motorists' Forum will:
- seek to establish a consensus of motorists
and the motor industry with the
Government in regard to the role of the car
in our society;
- co-ordinate and represent to Government
the voice of the responsible private and
business car user;
- seek to ensure that the use of the car
continues to develop in a manner which
takes account of concerns for the
environment, safety, and social inclusion;
- advise on how far the car fits into the
integrated transport strategy and how the
integration process can be further
developed to offer motorists realistic
alternatives to the car;
- advise on the development of policy issues
by Government and its agencies, and by
local government, relating to transport or
affecting the motorist, so that they relate to
motorists in an understanding way;
- advise the Government in regard to new
technology which can be used inside and
outside the car to help achieve these
goals; and
- advise CfIT on issues affecting the
motorist.
Annex B: Other Positions Held by Members' Relevant to the Work of the Forum
Sir Trevor Chinn CVO
Chairman: Automobile Association; ITIS Holdings plc;
Vice-Chairman: AA Motoring Trust;
Directorships: Automotive Skills Ltd;
Governor: Motability.
Chief Constable Stephen Green QPM
Chair: Nottinghamshire Criminal Justice Board;
Member: Association of Chief Police Officers/Highways Agency Partnership Board.
Debbie Hewitt
Directorships: RAC plc;
Non-Executive Directorships: The Office of Government Commerce;
Trustee: Recovery Industry Support Charity.
David Holmes CB
Trustee: Motorway Archive Trust.
Chris Hunt
Chair: UK Downstream Oil Distribution Forum;
Directorships: Cogent Sector Skills Council;
Member: Energy Institute.
John Lewis
Member: Cars QA Governing Board; Vehicle Industry Policy and European Regulation Group (VIPER); Retail Motor Strategy Group; Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle Groups); Automotive Skills Ltd.
Christopher Macgowan
Directorships: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Ltd; Odette International Ltd;
Member: Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team (VCRAT); CBI Trade Association Council; Vehicle Industry Policy and European Regulation Group (VIPER); Retail Motor Strategy Group; Automotive Academy; SMMT Industry Forum.
Tim Parker
Directorships: AA Motoring Trust; Alliance Boots PLC;
Member: Audit Commission Board.
Michael Roberts
Non-Executive Director: The Carbon Trust;
Member: Commission for Integrated Transport.
Archie Robertson OBE
Chair: National Road Users Committee;
Member: Commission for Integrated Transport; Department for Transport Board; National Environment Committee; Confederation of European Directors of Roads; Public Sector Construction Clients Forum;
Fellow: Institution of Highways & Transportation.
Stephen Sklaroff
Member: International Advisory Board of the City of London Cass Business School; Institute of Economic Affairs' Shadow Regulatory Policy Committee.
Roelant de Waard
Directorships: Ford Motor Company Ltd;
Member: CBI Presidents Committee; Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Ltd.
