RAC calls on political parties to address the 'motorist’s agenda' in the run-up to the General Election

RAC writes to party leaders urging action on behalf of motorists

Any political party aspiring to form the next Government needs to address the ‘motorist’s agenda’ and propose viable solutions to the ‘big four’ motoring concerns that negatively impact individual drivers, businesses and the economy as a whole.

As approximately two thirds of those eligible to vote hold a driving licence, the RAC believes their voice deserves to be heard en masse. The RAC is therefore calling for each party to put forward plans in the run-up to the General Election, as part of their manifestos, on how they will tackle:

• The high cost of fuel – reducing fuel duty to lessen hardship for the lower paid who depend on their cars and to help stimulate economic growth
• The poor state of the UK’s roads – putting an end to the cycle of deterioration and under investment that has led to all-year-round potholes and the ‘developing world’ status of our roads
• Illegal behaviour of drivers – improve enforcement by halting the decline in the number of traffic police that has created a ‘getting away with it’ culture among a significant minority of drivers
• Expensive and inadequate parking facilities – addressing the increasing cost, reduction in availability and fitness for purpose of parking in many parts of the country

The RAC has written to the leaders of the main political parties setting out these concerns so that they can be addressed in their election manifestos during the summer parliamentary recess.

The ‘big four’ motoring concerns were identified in the 2014 edition of the RAC Report on Motoring, an annual independent survey of what’s on the mind of a representative cross-section of UK motorists – a study which the country’s oldest motoring organisation has been carrying out for the last 26 years.

RAC technical director David Bizley said: “We know that motoring is vital to the UK economy and therefore we want the political parties to fully understand the biggest concerns on motorists’ minds. And we call on each leader to explain clearly what their party would do to address these issues and bring about positive change for the benefit of the country as a whole and everyone who uses the roads.

“Motorists are not just motorists, they also use public transport, they cycle and they are pedestrians so they are not seeking solutions at the expense of other road users. Nevertheless, as Motorists’ Champion, the RAC calls on all of the political parties to address motorists’ concerns head on in their election manifestos and on the next Government to take decisive action. As we approach a General Election, there are some clear messages that any party that aspires to Government needs to take on board.”

1. The cost of fuel – the cost of fuel is still the number one concern for a majority of motorists. Freezing of fuel duty and stable world oil prices have taken some of the sting out of the issue but it remains a huge drain on the budgets of less affluent motorists and those living in rural areas with no public transport alternatives to the car. As committed supporters of FairFuelUK, the RAC believes that there is a strong case for a further immediate 3p reduction in fuel duty to sustain economic growth.

• 47% of motorists list the cost of fuel as a top concern; 21% say that it is their most important worry – 10% more than any other concern

1. The state of the roads – the state of the roads and particularly local roads is an increasing concern to motorists. Maintenance of the road network remains the top transport spending priority for the majority of motorists. The Asphalt Industry Alliance estimates that an immediate one-off expenditure of £12 billion in England alone is required to return our roads to a state that we can be proud of and will support the economic well-being of the nation. The next Government needs to ensure that this problem is fixed once and for all over the life of the next parliament.

• 41% of drivers say the condition of local roads is a major concern – second only to the cost of fuel. Eight-five per cent say the maintenance of local roads is their top transport investment priority followed by 68% who want targeted local road improvements and 65% who would like to see more maintenance of motorways and trunk roads

1. Illegal behaviour of drivers – the law-abiding majority of motorists is concerned at the road safety impact of the illegal behaviour of the minority. They are particularly concerned about the widespread use of hand-held phones by drivers; the small but significant number of motorists who drive under the influence of drink and drugs and the low awareness and ineffectiveness of the new penalties to tackle tailgating, undertaking and middle lane hogging on our motorways and dual carriageways. A majority of motorists would like to see greater priority given to traffic policing both as a deterrent and to improve the effectiveness of enforcement of existing motoring law.

• Two in five drivers (40%) believe anyone committing common offences such as texting at the wheel of either a moving or stationary vehicle, aggressive driving, tailgating, middle lane hogging or undertaking on the motorway are more than likely to get away with it. Sixty per cent of motorists surveyed believe there are insufficient numbers of police officers on the roads to enforce driving laws

1. Poor parking facilities – motorists are increasingly concerned at the cost, availability and fitness for purpose of parking facilities in towns and city centres. A majority of motorists report an increase in charges and a reduction in availability of parking over the last 12 months and the size of parking bays has not increased to reflect the increased width of modern cars to accommodate side-impact crash protection features. Many local authorities are making huge surpluses from parking and this is adding to motorists’ growing frustration with the current situation. The next Government needs to ensure that local authorities manage the provision of parking within a framework that is fair to the motorist and recognises the link between the availability of parking and the commercial health of our high streets.

• Eighty per cent reported increasing parking charges in towns and cities. Two thirds of these drivers (67%) believe that, compared to a year ago, there is now less parking close to their town or city centre and that parking restrictions have become more stringent where they live, and a quarter (24%) state traffic wardens are now more active in their area.

Ends

Notes to Editors

* The research was carried out by Quadrangle on behalf of the RAC for the Report on Motoring 2014 and consisted of a large-scale internet survey of 1,526 British motorists (i.e. those who hold a current driving licence and drive at least once a month). The survey was conducted in February 2014.

The RAC Report on Motoring 2014 is available to download from www.rac.co.uk/reportonmotoring.