Throughout 2019, the Keoghs Market Affairs team have been telling as broad a range of parliamentarians as possible about our work and suggestions on how to keep young drivers safer on the UK’s roads. From committee responses to a future meeting with a Minister, we outline what we’ve been up to below:
Keoghs have drafted a response to the Transport Select Committee’s call for evidence on the Government’s approach to road safety.
In our response, we argued that the best approach to reducing the number of deaths amongst young people on the UK’s roads is a two-pronged one, combining incentive-based initiatives with a consultation which looks at potential restrictions on young drivers’ usage of the roads.
We also called upon the Government to bring forward such a consultation as soon as possible, so that the industry and other interested parties can have their say on what the best way forward is.
The consultation remains open until 18 April for any interested parties to put forward their views.
Following on from our Parliamentary event on 30 January, which welcomed over 40 MPs, stakeholders and insurance industry figures to the House of Commons, Keoghs has met with a number of key figures interested in this area.
Karl Turner
In late March, we met with Karl Turner MP, Labour’s Shadow Road Safety Minister, and discussed Keoghs’ goals on young driver safety and thoughts on how a graduated driving licence might work in practice. Karl Turner shared some of his policy insight from a Labour Party perspective on this issue, and also agreed to raise the matter with his counterpart in the Department for Transport, Jesse Norman, both privately and in Parliament.
We look forward to seeing the outcome of this interaction as the Parliamentary profile of the benefits of a graduated driving licence regime continues to grow.
Earl Attlee
We have also raised the benefits of implementation of a graduated driving licence regime with Earl Attlee, who was Lords Spokesperson at the Department for Transport between 2010 and 2013, and now utilises his wealth of knowledge and experience in this area on the backbenches.
Following the meeting, Earl Attlee tabled a Parliamentary Question to Baroness Sugg at the Department for Transport, asking for an assessment of the economic impact of bringing forward a graduated driving licence scheme.
In her response, Baroness Sugg said that further consideration will be given to using such a system in due course, as long as the benefits were balanced against the potential risks and costs of the restrictions on young drivers. We look forward to continuing to work closely with key figures in the House of Lords on this moving forward
Following on from these successful meetings, we’re looking forward to meeting with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Jesse Norman, and putting our message directly to the heart of Government.
Our meeting comes at a vital time, as the Government considers its road safety strategy for the future and the Transport Select Committee scrutinises its approach.
The Keoghs Market Affairs Team will continue to campaign on this issue with Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to ensure that the insurance voice is heard
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