Auto Trader's Owners' Guide has revealed that 77% of motorists want theory and practical driving skills taught in schools. They feel there is a need for improved education and awareness early on in order to reduce accidents involving young people, as recent statistics show that road crashes are the biggest killer of 16-24 year olds.
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The 3,000 motorists that were surveyed, 68% of them believed they would be a much safer road user now, if they had received adequate education from a young age. 98% of motorists fear the government is failing to do enough to improve safety on UK roads with Brits calling for more strident steps to prioritise making the roads safer for all users.
Motorists believe recent government legislation, giving police the power to issue £100 on-the-spot fines and three penalty points for careless driving, is little more than a money-generating exercise with 60% of Brits questioned believe this will make absolutely no impact to improving safety on UK roads.
Licensed drivers want to urge the government to invest in improving pot holes and road surfaces with 46% of the people surveyed believing that this is more important than focusing on increased driver sanctions. A further 26% believe the average speed limit should be reduced to 20 mph in residential areas in a bid to reduce accidents.
Three in five motorists also state that drivers who commit multiple speeding offences should be forced to drive cars with speed limiters while 30% would like to see compulsory driver reassessments take place every 10 years.
Concerns are also focused around their own vehicles of safety technology. 55% of Brits are prepared to invest heavily in a vehicle with enhanced safety features. 81% of those would be willing to spend up to £2,000 more on safety features such as advanced accident avoidance systems. That’s a potential £26 billion extra investment in the new car market.
Jonathan Williams, Group Marketing Director at Auto Trader, commented: “It is essential that we are educating future road users from a young age in order to make our roads as safe as possible. Government must prioritise improvements to infrastructure and education in response to motorist concerns and demonstrate a real commitment to making our roads safer for all. We have launched our own ‘safety week’ initiative on Autotrader.co.uk where motorists can go for tips on and advice on driving safely.”
Peter Rodger, Chief Examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, added: “Attitudes to road safety are set at a very young age so early education is absolutely crucial in producing tomorrow’s safe drivers. Autotrader’s research also shows that ordinary drivers are far from convinced by the current government’s policies on road safety. The key is to break the link in many people’s minds between enforcement and money raising.”