Two Tribes: what drivers think about other road users?

Two Tribes: what drivers think about other road users? Edmund King President, Automobile Association

Road Safety GB Annual Conference 2012 Two Tribes? What drivers think about other road users Edmund King President of the Automobile Association Visiting Professor of Transport - Newcastle University

The AA

AA DriveTech • The UK's leading provider of driver training, assessment and driver awareness schemes has four key divisions – Academy, DriverAware, Commercial and Passenger Vehicles and FleetSafe. • The DriverAware Division delivers: • Driver awareness schemes for motorists involved in collisions or who have committed offences including speeding, mobile phones, jumping a level crossing or red light, or not wearing a seat belt. • DriverAware also runs national RIDE (Rider Intervention and Developing Experience) Schemes for motorcyclists and the London Cycle Safe Scheme for cyclists who have committed an offence. • AA DriveTech is also looking to facilitate Bikeability training.

The AA Charitable Trust: Courses Drive Smart • 2 hours of AA Driving School tuition • Free to ‘at risk’ drivers • Helps over-confident, dangerous drivers • Teaches safer and more eco-friendly driving techniques • Evaluation • 94% of respondents rated their instructor as very good or good • Only 2% have since gone on to have an accident or traffic offence. All had had at least one in the year before taking the course. • 86% said they had improved their fuel consumption as a result of taking the course • 89% would recommend Drive Smart to a friend or family member

The AA Charitable Trust: Courses Drive Confident • Free 2 hours of AA Driving School tuition • Helps nervous, rusty or lapsed drivers • Adapts to suit their needs e.g. motorways, parking, roundabouts

The AA Charitable Trust: Campaigns and Projects Young Drivers at Risk • Nigel Mansell launched report at Silverstone Classic • Sought greater and road safety education and off-road driving opportunities for u17s Drive for Opportunity • Funding for young people in Bristol social care system to learn to drive • Potential to roll the course out to other areas Dangerous Drivers’ School • Second series of the Channel 5 show due in early 2013 • Shows AA instructors helping drivers combat their problems with a Drive Confident /Drive Smart course • Winner of the FIA 2012 Innovation Award

The AA President • “Shock news – AA President cycles” • “Edmund King, the President of the Automobile Association, is an urban cyclist and a weekend warrior”

The AA Magazine • “There has been an explosion of interest in cycling, and we must do all we can to continue to fuel it”

The AA Magazine • We really must get past the dangerous ‘them and us’ mentality that sours interactions between different groups (and even sub-groups) of road users – be they pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or drivers of vehicles large and small. Cycle campaigners often do themselves no favours in this respect, and motorists can be just as bad. Motorists see cyclists running red lights. Cyclists see motorists cutting them up.

The man in the car • So what do AA members really think? • About “the cycling tribe”? • About the other tribes?

Road Safety GB Annual Conference 2012 Two Tribes? Audience Participation Edmund King President of the Automobile Association Visiting Professor of Transport - Newcastle University

The AA/Populus Panel • 20,000 respond every month • Vetted by Populus • Sample is AA members. They almost certainly drive. The vast majority walk and some cycle. Some are motorcyclists.

A little background • The AA Populus polls have consistently shown that 69-75 per cent of drivers find speed cameras “acceptable” • They have shown considerable support for cutting the legal drink drive limit and random breath testing.

A tribe of reasonable people… • Nearly half think that pedestrian crossings allow enough time for pedestrians • Two thirds disagree with the statement “bus lanes are unnecessary” • Over 60% think there are not enough cycle lanes • Less than a fifth believe that most motorcyclists only ride for pleasure

Equality amongst tribes? • Cyclists and drivers are equal partners on the road: • 54% agree, 34% disagree. • Cyclists have good grounds to feel upset at the way: drivers treat them • 57% agree, 33% disagree.

Two tribes sometimes go to war • Cyclists behave better than motorists on the road: • 13% agree, 53% disagree • Most cyclists behaviour on the road cannot be: criticised • 28% agree, 51% disagree.

There are some views about other tribes • Misbehaviour by cyclists on the road is largely ignored by the police: 69% agree, 11% disagree. • Cyclists in normal clothes behave better on the road than those wearing cycling gear: 18% agree, 36% disagree, 42% neither agree nor disagree.

Some tribes make us angry…. • Which road users make you feel most angry when driving • Car drivers 45% • Pedestrians 1% • Motorcyclists 6% • White vans 18% • Buses 4% • Cyclists 13%

…others don’t • 36% of drivers listed pedestrians in the three “least likely to make me angry” groups. • 23% put cyclists there, • But only 9% put other car drivers there

Tribal costume Cyclists should wear helmets As a legal requirement 65% As a common sense measure 32% No 2% But the AA does not call for compulsory wear

Tribal costume Cyclists should wear reflective jackets As a legal requirement 58% As a common sense measure 40% No 2% But the AA does not call for compulsory wear

Keeping the peace • THE AA WANTS: • All road users to follow the Highway Code • More cycle routes/lanes where quieter alternative routes do not exist • More widespread cycle proficiency and truck/cycle awareness training • More cycle-safety elements in the driving test • Review of urban “pinch points” for cyclists

Keeping the peace • THE AA DOESN’T WANT • The licensing of bicycles • Compulsory cycle helmet use • Deaths and injuries • Cyclists scared off the road • The two tribes going to war

Affect all the tribes • AA Streetwatch • AA Pothole assist

Two Tribes: what drivers think about other road users?