Over the limit and over the borders

Four in ten drivers aware of the forthcoming legislation to replace the British driving licence with a single EU-wide licence are against it, believing driving standards will suffer, according to the swiftcover.com Safety on Britain’s Roads study.

Only one in six (14%) drivers believes this measure will actually prevent convicted drink drivers from applying for licences in other EU countries, often referred to as ‘licence tourism’.

Targeting ‘Licence Tourists’

With 3,000 people killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads each year in drink-driving related accidents, this loop-hole poses a significant risk to road safety. As a result, curbing ‘licence tourists’ (convicted drink-drivers who re-apply for their licence in other countries) across Europe is one of the key reasons for the introduction of pan-European licences.

Under current regulations, a motorist convicted of drink-driving in the UK can apply for a driving licence in another EU country which would then be valid for use in the UK.

27% of motorists who are aware of the new EU licences believe they will make the roads even more dangerous. Of those motorists who agree with the legislation, 17% think it will make Britain more European. However, the majority of Britain’s motorists (86%) are completely unaware that the British national drivers’ licence will be replaced with a single EU licence from 2013.

Andrew Blowers, Chief Executive Officer at swiftcover.com, comments: “Whilst many might advocate EU-wide driving licences as we are dragged closer towards a united European Union, both the European Parliament and British Government will have to increase the public’s awareness of their plans to harmonise driving qualifications and standards before the majority of UK motorists feel comfortable that the new measures won’t increase dangerous driving on our roads.

“In the meantime, as more countries join the EU and transport links improve, there are an increasing number of foreign-registered cars and drivers with non-UK licences on our roads with each passing year.”

Safety on Britain’s Roads
The report additionally reveals motorists also have other concerns about safety on Britain’s roads. Just over three quarters (77%) of people believe that motorists in the UK with EU licences should take a UK version of the driving test if they drive regularly in the UK for work or for a longer period of time than a holiday. Indeed, nearly two in three (60%) drivers with EU licences themselves also think it would have been beneficial if they had taken a UK version of the driving test before driving in Britain.

2.2 Million Motorists in Accidents or Near Accidents
The study’s findings suggest these motorists might indeed have cause for concern. One in twenty (4%) drivers, the equivalent of 1.4 million adults, has been involved in a road accident or near-miss with a non-UK registered car or a non-UK driving licence holder. Two percent, the equivalent of 700,000 UK adults, have even been involved in an accident or near-accident with a foreign-registered HGV.

The West Midlands, with its high number of motorways and infamous ‘spaghetti junction’, is the nation’s hotspot for crashes and near-accidents with non-UK registered cars and licence holders. Three per cent of drivers in the West Midlands have been involved in traffic accidents or near-misses with foreign-registered HGVs, 1% with a foreign-registered bus or coach, 2% with a foreign-registered car and 3% with non-UK licence holders.