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Higher education begins as you leave: tips from IAM RoadSmart

This week’s tips give advice to students packing their bags for the big drive or ride to university. For many this trip will be the furthest they have driven, and in an area they are not yet familiar with. 

Back to school: tips from IAM RoadSmart

The summer holidays have come to a close and for some parents not a moment too soon.  Order and normality will resume along with the dreaded school run which starts again for another year. This week’s tips offers advice to drivers and riders on how to survive the term time road rush from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

The swings and roundabouts of life: driving advice from IAM RoadSmart

Roundabouts sometimes send even the most experienced drivers into a panic. But never fear: IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving standards Richard Gladman is here to help you out.

 

Riding in the right gear: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Many riders take to roads without realising they are putting themselves in danger, wearing the incorrect clothing. This week’s tips offers advice on clothing to all riders from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Leave sooner, drive slower and live longer: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Many new drivers will take to the road this summer after successfully passing their driving tests. You may have some hiccups along the way and not know how best to cope. Statistics show that the first six months of solo driving are when you are most at risk. This week’s tips give advice to new drivers from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Leave a positive vision behind: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Over time our eyesight deteriorates and previously strong vision can become poor. If eyesight problems are left unaddressed they can often lead to poor reaction times to unexpected hazards or the behaviour of other road users. This week’s tips give advice on eyesight. When riding and driving from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Buying a used car: tips from IAM RoadSmart

You may be a first time car buyer or just in the need for a new ride. This week’s tips offer advice on buying a used car from IAM RoadSmart’s head of technical policy and advice, Tim Shallcross.

Where kids are number one: tips from IAM RoadSmart

The summer holidays are here and many families will be packing for success as they set off to enjoy and travel. This week’s tips give advice on driving with children from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Keep calm while driving and riding: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Summer is here in all its glory and with its arrival also comes the arrival of pressure cooker driving conditions. Many drivers will be taking to the road stressed by holiday deadlines, long traffic queues, overheated cars and hot tempered drivers. This week’s tips give advice on dealing with road rage for riders and drivers from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Half the wheels, twice the fun: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Summer is here and many of us will be taking to the streets and country roads with our bicycles to make the most of the sunshine. This week’s tips give advice on sharing the road with cyclists from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Is parking the bigger picture? Tips from IAM RoadSmart

Many of us can find parking and looking for the right spot quite challenging but sometimes we also forget about checking our surroundings when we leave the car.  A few simple checks can avoid costly and irritating car park mistakes and make your trip a lot less stressful. This week’s tips give advice on parking from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Drive out and rave on: tips from IAM RoadSmart

It’s that time of the year to bring out your wellies, rain capes and lose yourself in the music because the summer festival season is here. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving to and from festivals from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

If you don’t ride you don’t know: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Finding the time to take a trip abroad can be a challenge but many of us look forward to it. It can be a huge task for especially for motorcycle users abroad. This week’s tips give advice on riding abroad from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

For the journey - tips from IAM RoadSmart

Going away during the summer is something that many look forward to. Prevention is better than cure and if you are taking your own vehicle abroad it is a great idea to be prepared for the unexpected events that can occur when on the road. This week’s tips give advice on driving abroad from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Hold your horses: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Horses are powerful animals and have extremely heightened senses. They are ‘flight’ animals, so many revert to their natural instincts at any time. The outcome of this can be extremely challenging for the rider and other road users. There have been 2,570 road incidents reported to the British Horse Society in the last six years. Some 38 riders have been killed and 222 horses have died as a result of their injuries. Of these incidents 80% are because vehicle passed too fast or too close to the horse. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving around horses from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman.

Above the influence: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Illegal substances can affect drivers in several ways, making them unfit for the road. But it is not only illegal drugs that we should be wary of. Prescribed or over the counter drugs can have similar negative affect’s on motorists too and driving while impaired by medication could see you banned from using the road. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving with prescribed medication, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

You booze, you cruise, you lose: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Drunk motorists cause thousands of accidents on UK roads every year. Some 1,380 people were killed or seriously injured when at least one driver was over the limit. This represents a statistically significant rise from 1,310 in 2014. A lot of people may be surprised to learn that accidents occur the most over the summer period. This week’s tips give advice on drink driving, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

Using a Sat Nav: tips from IAM RoadSmart

Satellite navigation systems (sat navs) are a must have these days but many road users fail to use this travel companion in the correct or safe manner. In a recent simulator study looking at a variety of distractions, programming a sat nav had the biggest negative impact on driving standards. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving with a sat navs, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

Driving with hay fever: tips from IAM RoadSmart

A sneeze or sniffle has a way of creeping up on you, especially when you least expect it.  Hay fever seems to affect many of us. This week’s tips give advice on riding and driving with hay fever, from IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards Richard Gladman.

IAM RoadSmart Responds to New Law on Dangerous Driving

Posted on 30/03/22 |

From Tuesday 28th June a new law, introduced as part of the Police, Crime and Sentencing Courts Bill, came into force to close a loophole that allows drivers who cause permanent disability or injury through careless driving to avoid prison, substantial fines or bans.

The Bill creates a new offence of ‘causing serious injury by careless driving,’ and is part of the Government’s effort to improve driving standards and to punish those who don’t give their full attention to the road.  This offence will carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison.  In addition, drivers who commit death by dangerous driving or death by dangerous driving while under the influence of drink or drugs can now potentially face life imprisonment.

Neil Greig, Director of Policy and Research at IAM RoadSmart, commented:

“IAM RoadSmart found 86% of people support the move to introduce life sentences for drivers who cause death by dangerous driving, however the problem is that people who are causing the most damage often don’t think about their actions or the consequences before they do it.  To reduce offending, we need to focus on raising the fear of being caught.  You just need to look at the mobile phone legislation where we've seen the fine increased to £200 and six penalty points, and yet many of us will see somebody holding a mobile phone behind the wheel every day because people just don’t believe they are going to get caught.

“If we saw an increase in the number of traffic police, better traffic policing coordination and intelligence between forces, it would help target the minority who cause the biggest problems.  This does mean finding extra resource, which is an issue right now, but there would be a lot of additional benefits if we were to see more high-profile policing - including reduced crime, less speeding and faster response to incidents.

“As it currently stands not many people who are found guilty currently get given the full sentence they can be offered for this crime.  There are already sentencing guidelines in place, however if the previous maximum sentence of 14 years is not currently used then what are the chances of a life sentence being used? 

“Road safety isn’t a Home Office priority, compared to crimes such as terrorism and human trafficking, however IAM RoadSmart want to see that changed.  During the pandemic there were more people caught speeding, particularly excessive speeding, yet overall, the last two years have seen less deaths and injuries on the roads.  This is due to less traffic and fewer people travelling due to COVID-19 lockdowns, but more people were caught speeding because they were spotted by the police who were out there looking for them.”

A 2020 report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said that despite the high number of people killed in England and Wales each year, roads policing was seen as “less of a priority than it should be”, with police and crime plans often making little or no reference to it.

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