MSA GB Newslink July

News
Road user deaths fall but with lower
mileage, the trend is moving upwards
Colin Lilly
Editor, MSA GB Newslink
The Department for Transport has
published its provisional figures for
reported road casualties 2020. This
period includes four months of national
lockdown.
Due to a reduction in traffic during the
lockdown periods a reduction in
casualties could be expected and in fact,
the rates follow similar trends to those in
Europe
The year ended with the total number
of deaths at 1,472, a reduction of 16 per
cent compared with 2019. The headline
figure of Killed and Seriously Injured was
23,486, a reduction of 22 per cent. The
total number of casualties, of all
severities was 115,333, a reduction of
25 per cent.
However, the unprecedented
circumstances of 2020 means we have
to put these figures in context. During the
year road traffic, based on vehicle
mileage, fell by 21 per cent.
So, we have to ask, ‘Have we made
much progress on road safety?’ In real
terms based on mileage, the death rate
actually rose, by six per cent.
The fatalities by road user type fell,
apart from pedal cyclists which increased
by 40 per cent. This, in part, is
attributed to the increase in cycle use
during 2020.
There is little doubt that 2020 was a
The evidence suggests the quieter
roads led to higher speeds, which in
turn led to greater fatalities
very different year. Roads carried less
traffic, particularly during the first
lockdown, but the evidence suggests the
quieter roads led to higher speeds.
Last year did lead to lower numbers of
casualties and history will reflect this as
a good thing but there is clearly more
work to be done.
Road casualty rates suggest worrying
trend: See pg 16
New warning as ADIs stung by DVLA scam sites
The DVLA has renewed its warning to the
public to watch out for websites charging a
premium price for services that are free on
GOV.UK.
DVLA says it has been contacted more
than 1,200 times since January 2020 by
customers who have paid more for its
services than they need to after using
websites that are not affiliated with DVLA
but which purport to offer DVLA-related
services.
Using any website other than GOV.UK
can mean motorists are charged more for
services that are either cheaper or free on
GOV.UK, such as changing the address on
your driving licence or V5C vehicle
registration certificate, and renewing a
driving licence from age 70.
It’s important the public uses the
official site, said Julie Lennard, DVLA
Chief Executive: “GOV.UK is the only site
where customers will find our official
services, many of which are free. You may
be charged a premium when using other
websites offering services that are not
connected to DVLA.
“Always double check you’re using GOV.
UK when accessing our online services.”
Guy Anker, deputy editor at Money
SavingExpert.com, added: “These
Always
check you
are on the
official
DVLA site
copycat sites aren’t illegal, but they dress
up like legitimate webpages, and use
clever tricks to appear higher on search
engines. They get you to fill in forms,
which requires no more work on your part
than if you’d done it yourself via the
official sites, and then they overcharge
you for ‘administration’ or ‘services’ –
which is really just passing it to the
relevant body, with no extra work
involved. This can leave a very sour taste.
“The obvious red flag for a copycat site
is if you’re being charged for something
that’s usually free – such as updating your
vehicle log book (V5C) when you change
your address. Another tell-tale sign is the
web address; make sure it says GOV.UK.
It’s also worth knowing the true price of a
service; firms offer ‘checking services’ for
driving licence renewals at a cost of £60,
more than four times the £14 it costs to
do it through GOV.UK.”
MSA GB’s Peter Harvey said the
problem was even affecting ADIs, so
convincing are the unofficial sites. “I have
had two members contact me in recent
days saying they had been charged £80
for a driving licence upgrade to a
photocard from paper, when the DVLA
price is £20. You have been warned!”
12
NEWSLINK n JULY 2021