Research conducted by well renowned publication, Auto Trader, has revealed that 98% of UK motorists think that the government is not doing enough to improve road safety, booktheorytesttoday.com can reveal.
Out of the 3,000 drivers surveyed, 77% also urged the introduction of theory and practical driving skills to be taught in schools throughout the UK. In addition, 60% of motorists feel that new, increased fines for careless driving will do little to enhance safety on Britain’s roads.
81% of those surveyed believe that the ever increasing reliance on in-car gadgets, such as hands free kits and the ability to check social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, only serves as a potentially lethal distraction whilst driving.
In order to enhance their own personal safety on Britain’s roads, 55% of drivers revealed that they would be willing to invest more money on a vehicle that had the latest safety features.
81% of poll participants said they would spend upward of £2,000 – which would represent a £26 billion cash injection into the motor industry – according to Auto Trader (based on the current 28.8 million cars licenced for road use by the DVLA).
Overall, 88% of motorists surveyed highlighted safety as one of the most decisive factors when considering the purchase of a car.
Perhaps surprisingly, motorists aged 17-24 quoted ‘advanced safety features’ more important than drivers aged 55-64 (68% compared with 41%). However, it is statistically proven that young motorists are more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident.
Continuing on the theme of road safety in general, 51% of drivers identified HGV’s as the ‘biggest safety threat on Britain’s roads’, with motorcycles placed second with 15%. Then bizarrely, 14% of motorists stated that bicycles represent a lethal safety risk ahead of SUV’s, which registered just 10% of the vote.
In order to reduce the safety threat of HGV’s, 55% of motorists would welcome a weight limit that lorries can carry in built up locations, 51% recommended that they should be restricted to ‘off-peak’ driving hours and a further 51% said they want to see lorries fitted with special mirrors, as standard, in order to enhance driver visibility.
However, despite the fears of the UK’s motoring public, Auto Trader revealed that Britain’s roads are much safer when compared with previous years. Research shows that serious injuries and fatalities on the UK’s roads are over 50% less when compared with figures from 15 years ago.
Tags: Car Safety Advice, Car Safety News, Road Safety Advice, Road Safety News, Safe Roads, Safe Streets
