Road safety update News safety special

Mat Watson [email protected] UK road safety summit predicts @mat_watson mixed results from new car tech n Hi-tech future will bring benefits and challenges, say experts n But Govt relaxes focus on young driver safety

insider told us they think it’s unlikely to hopes to have new drug screeners happen at all as restricting young drivers to coincide with the fresh offence of is politically sensitive. When questioned driving under the influence of drugs. This week on our sister website about graduated licences, Goodwill said: There are no plans to revisit the Carbuyer we’ve got two of this “This has an economic knock-on effect current drink-drive limit of 80mg of year’s most exciting new arrivals and reduces opportunities for young alcohol in 100ml of blood, though, – and both have been turning people, especially in rural areas.” despite Scotland and Northern heads as we’ve been filming. See The summit also touched on Ireland dropping their limits to 50mg. them at carbuyer.co.uk/videos. autonomous driving, and although the Meanwhile, shadow minister views were largely positive, all speakers Burden called for road safety targets questioned legislation and laws. Chief to be reintroduced, after they were The Maserati with Constable Suzette Davenport, Association scrapped by the Government, and for a Ferrari heart of Chief Police Officers national roads funding to be ring-fenced for safety policing lead, questioned how the rules schemes at a local level to ensure it would work regarding drink-driving and isn’t spent on other departments. licences in these vehicles. But she said: He also demanded changes to “Remote stopping will be a real benefit. road haulage safety, including more We have to balance the risk of pursuing truck stops and looking at how other people if they’re doing something wrong.” countries use restrictions on when However, she also said legislation haulage companies deliver goods. needs to be brought up to date for current the Ghibli is Maserati’s challenger technology, such as Internet in cars and “There are no plans to revisit England’s current drink- to the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes the impending of Google Glass. E-Class. But the Italian saloon has Drink and drug-driving dominated, and driving limit of 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood” two things the German pair just Goodwill said by 2015 the Government can’t match: an engine developed with Ferrari and looks that turn heads on every corner. Third of a million killed or injured on UK road by 2030 A THIRD of a million people will be group. Yet the statistics – produced for deaths likely to fall from 1,754 in The new, new killed or seriously injured (KSI) on the Parliamentary Advisory Committee 2012 to 1,000 a year in 2030. on the UK’s streets British roads up to 2030, costing for Transport Safety (Pacts) – suggest Serious injuries are expected to society £110billion, claims a new a future improvement. The report be halved, too, with slight injuries report from a Government safety predicts a drop in KSIs, with all road also likely to drop by 20,000. Call for £500 Government autobrake grant REBECCA Jackson gets her hands a £500 grant for anyone buying potential impact of their car on one of the first all-new MINIs in a car with the kit. At present, should benefit from a helping the UK for our Carbuyer review. The 23 per cent of new cars either hand from the Government,” look may be evolutionary, but have it fitted as an option or explained Thatcham chief what’s under the skin is anything standard. But less than 10 per executive Peter Shaw. but, including a three-cylinder cent of buyers opt for it. “The time is right to diesel. Does it have MINI charm? An insider explained that the demonstrate to consumers idea had been presented to that vehicles with AEB should road ministers in Government be their natural choice, and You can watch and that while they had been we calculate that with a any of our videos receptive to it, they questioned £500 cash incentive – on your phone where the money for such an about half the additional Simply scan incentive could come from. cost of the AEB system – this QR code. “A responsible driver who the Government would be pays extra to reduce the meeting the motorist halfway.” Volvo has led way on AEB; grant would boost take-up

www.autoexpress.co.uk 2 April 2014 21