June 15. 2016
Intelligent Instructor magazine, the biggest and only independent magazine for the driver training industry, teamed up with FBTC Accountancy Services, and conducted a snap survey of ADIs to understand their views and intention in the forthcoming EU Referendum.
Over 24 hours between the 8th and 9th June, 200 ADIs took part.
Key Findings:
92% intend to vote on the 23rd June 2016
But nearly 1 in 5 (19%) are still undecided on whether to remain or leave
Only 31% of the sample intend to vote to remain
50% intend to vote for leaving the EU at this point
Nearly half (45%) don’t feel they have sufficient information to make an informed decision to remain or leave
Only 1 in 5 (19.7%) see that leaving the EU would have a negative impact on them personally
(200 responses on 8th and 9th of June 2016)
Paul Caddick, Editor of Intelligent Instructor and Andrew Briscoe, General Manager of FBTC
Of course we (Intelligent Instructor and FBTC) are independent on this matter, but interested in facts and other interested party’s views and perspectives on what is probably the single biggest national decision for a lifetime.
It is clear from this snap poll that while it is so important, people are finding it very difficult to ascertain the real facts needed to properly formulate a decision. This is incredibly disappointing when the result will have huge consequences for us all in the UK and, Europe as a whole, for decades to come.
Driver trainers deal in the world of motoring and road safety. It is unlikely that there will be any direct implications for driver training and the driving test per se. However, it is perhaps worth bearing in mind that a huge amount of the positive road safety developments over the last thirty or forty years have come through a combined European effort.
- The EU funds a significant amount of road safety research which benefits UK research establishments and UK road users in general.
The UK has many ‘harmonised’ driver and vehicle regulations and enforcement, from driving licences and professional driver’s hours, to insurance and manufacturing standards. Of course, if the UK leaves the EU it could adapt and adopt EU legislation.
EuroNCAP has probably been the single biggest improvement in road safety, forcing better, safer vehicles, and it is a test of standards that is now being adopted worldwide.
There are potential risks and complications of the UK not getting access to vehicle technical data (repair and maintenance information) currently being legislated by EU
Adrian Walsh, Director, Road Safe said:
"Europe is perhaps the largest and most sophisticated market in the world; this has provided an ideal environment for a rapid advance in the development of vehicle safety technology spurred on by the consumer-facing NCAP programme. As a result, we now have the safest cars in the world.
Furthermore, the harmonisation of traffic law and a focus on road safety research within the community has helped to reduce death and injury on European roads.
Britain has played a leading role in all these areas".
Iain Temperton, Director of Communications, Road Safety GB commented:
“Our legislative framework is delivered via Department for Transport, some is home-grown and some originates from Europe. There are some advantages to harmonisation between states, such as standardisation of driving licences and co-operation of enforcement agencies, how much of that could continue outside of EU membership is an unknown.
My feeling is that the result of the referendum will have no short-term effect on road safety and I suspect that long-term effects will be limited as well. We search for best practice wherever it can be found".
These are just a few examples of how the EU has benefited our motoring lives, careers and safety over the years. Leaving the EU is likely to create economic uncertainty in the short-term, and this could cause a rise in diesel and petrol prices, vehicle purchase costs and even insurance premiums. However, assessing the unknown requires a functioning crystal ball, and such a thing does not exist as far as I know.
This Referendum is about a lot more than motoring, driver training and road safety. It is about our relationship with the rest of Europe, our position in a global market place and also the best way to ensure stability, safety and brotherhood in an increasingly fractured, insecure and unstable world. So perhaps it is most important to remember that it was the European wars and economic instability that led to the desire to unite the powers and nations of Europe; to prevent war, find common purpose and economically benefit all. Therefore, we need to assess if the EU, and our membership of it, has succeeded or failed, and whether going back to the old state of affairs will be a step forward looking at the whole issue.
See the full ADI survey results below:
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