1. Stemming the speed epidemic

2. PACTS Press Release re Home Office 'Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving'

3. Progress on the Road Safety Bill

4. Happenings in Parliament

5. Conferences and Events

Stemming the speed epidemic

The RAC Report on Motoring, published on February 7, makes interesting reading and has clearly caused a flurry of interest in the media. Do we really have a "speeding epidemic"? What proposals should we consider to stop this epidemic spreading still further?

According to the RAC, 57% of drivers admit breaking the motorway speed limit and two-thirds break the 30mph limit. Those figures are taken from a survey of drivers and compare with the actual vehicle speeds detected by the Department for Transport which concluded that 58% of car drivers break the 30mph limit.

Obviously we should be concerned that drivers are breaking the urban speed limit. That is where the majority of crashes involving vulnerable road users take place. Yet we should also take comfort that this percentage of drivers know that what they are doing is wrong. Now that they have admitted that there is a problem, we can begin to find solutions.

The report itself suggests usage of in-car electronic tracking as a penalty for repeat or serious offenders. This is certainly worth considering in some detail. There is currently a research project funded by the Department for Transport on the use of alco-locks for drink-drive offenders. The same approach could be taken for speeding offenders.

"Black box" technology is also the basis of the "Pay as You Drive" insurance scheme offered by Norwich Union. Police cars in Berlin fitted with black boxes were also involved in fewer crashes in a research project undertaken in the 1990s. Is it now time for the Department to look more seriously at the wider usage of such technology to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads?

-Robert Gifford, PACTS Executive Director, 7 February 2005

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PACTS PRESS RELEASE: 3 February 2005

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) has today welcomed the publication of the Home Office 'Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving'.

The long-awaited review proposes: a new charge of causing death by careless driving; a new charge of causing death resulting from illegal (disqualified or unlicensed) driving; a requirement for courts to take serious injuries into account when sentencing; and an alternative verdict of guilty for statutory offences to be available to the courts when the offence of manslaughter is not proved.

Robert Gifford, PACTS' Executive Director, commented:

The proposals in this document close a long-standing gap in the law.  Causing death on the roads must not be treated as a minor or trivial offence.  The new charge of causing death through careless driving recognises for the first time in law the tragic consequences that can result from bad driving.

However, the crucial question will be how these new proposals are brought into force by the courts, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Acting on these proposals must be an urgent priority for the next Parliament. -- ENDS

Note: The Home Office Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving was published on 3 February 2005.  The deadline for consultation responses is 6 May 2005.  PACTS was consulted in the initial review and will comment on the proposals in more detail in response to the consultation.  More information on the review can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/n_story.asp?item_id=1230. 

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Progress on the Road Safety Bill

The Road Safety Bill finished in standing committee on Thursday 3 February 2005.  Progress was made in several key areas:

-- Several amendments were tabled on the issue of graduated speeding penalties.  While PACTS supports the principle of graduated penalties, we are concerned that lowering penalties for breaking the speed limit by small margins in urban areas sends the wrong message to drivers about the safety and acceptability of driving at those speeds.  The debate on the amendments was very positive with strong contributions from nearly all MPs present.  In response, the Government gave assurances that the penalty structure circulated in DfT's discussion note on graduated fixed penalties was an 'exemplar' rather than a proposal, and that the proposals would be subject to extensive consultation.  PACTS welcomes this response, but an assurance that the lower penalty will not apply in built-up areas is still needed.  We hope that this issue is returned to at report stage.

-- A new clause was tabled to lower the drink drive limit from .80 to .50.  It has been estimated that this change could save up to 65 lives a year and prevent over two hundred serious injuries.  In response, the Government promised to look at the feasibility of conducting roadside surveys to assess the extent of the problem and recording the alcohol levels of drivers involved in collisions.  This is a very positive development, as this research could inform future decisions.

-- The debate on a new offence of causing death by careless driving coincided with the publication of the long-awaited Home Office 'Review of Road Traffic Offences involving Bad Driving'.  The review proposes a new charge of causing death by careless driving; a new charge of causing death resulting from illegal (disqualified or unlicensed) driving; a requirement for courts to take serious injuries into account when sentencing; and an alternative verdict of guilty for statutory offences to be available to the courts when the offence of manslaughter is not proved.  These proposals are most welcome, and PACTS looks forward to legislation being introduced at the earliest opportunity after the close of the consultation.

Further information and briefing material on the Bill can be downloaded from http://www.pacts.org.uk/parliament/whatson/roadsafetybill.htm

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Happenings in Parliament

Early Day Motion:

A recent Early Day Motion (EDM) of particular relevance to transport safety was:

             EDM 534: Causing Death by Dangerous Driving (Paul Stinchcombe MP, Lab, Wellingborough)

Bills:

The Road Safety Bill completed standing committee stage in the House of Commons on 3 February 2005.  It had its second reading on 11 January 2005 and its first reading on 30 November 2004.

• Impairment issues in the Road Safety Bill: Alcohol, mobile phones and fatigue
• Speed issues in the road safety bill
• Driver Entitlement issues in the Road Safety Bill: Licensing, insurance and registration

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Conferences and Events

A few places still remain for PACTS Conference on 'Letting People in on the Act: Community Involvement in Road Safety', to be held in Westminster on 15 February 2005.  For more information, download the conference brochure or contact PACTS' Conference Organiser Sally Verkaik on 0207 222 7732 as soon as possible.

Brake will be holding a conference on Drink & Drug Driving at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, 1 Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London, on Thursday 12th May 2005.  For more information, contact Brake on 01484 559909.

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