Organisation Wants To See Road Safety On National Curriculum

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is calling for changes to the driving test, changes to the law and even changes to the national curriculum in its latest manifesto, published ahead of next year's general election.

The road safety organisation wants travelling on high speed rural roads to form a portion of the driving test, as part of measures to raise the standard of driver competence.

It also believes road safety education should form part of the national curriculum, and that theory and hazard perception tests should be delivered online and in educational institutions.

The IAM manifesto also supports an increase in the number of road policing officers, which have been steadily declining over the last decade, and a "zero tolerance approach to the enforcement of traffic laws".

Additionally, it called on the government for a requirement for companies applying for public sector contracts to have road risk policies in place.

"In the last five years, more than five and a half thousand young people have been killed on our roads or had life-changing injuries," said IAM chairman Alistair Cheyne. "Every one of those crashes was avoidable."

Expert Opinion

Considering the huge consequences that road traffic collisions have on so many people, anything that is aimed at improving safety on the roads must be welcomed. <br/> <br/>"The IAM has come up with interesting approaches to tackling this issue, with a focus on reviewing and improving education for road users to ensure they are fully equipped with the skills they need to identify and avoid potential risks. <br/> <br/>"Too many people are killed and seriously injured on the UK’s roads, so it will be interesting to see how political parties address this issue in the run-up to next year’s election." Colin Ettinger - Consultant