Say yes to cheaper van, home and car insurance

The Association of British Drivers (ABD) has claimed that the Department for Transport (DfT) is not fit for purpose.

According to the group, road safety is not improving, citing figures which show that the deaths per 100,000 teenage driving licence holders doubled to 19 in 2004.

It added that the government should not have removed traffic police officers from certain areas, calling the officials "the most valuable road safety tool".

The firm also criticised the Commons' Transport Select Committee (Transom) for the steady increase in driver fatalities under 25.

And it may be that the high number of casualties results in young motorists paying higher car insurance premiums.

"This is happening because blanket speed reduction policy has prevented young drivers from acquiring key survival skills whilst camera enforcement of under-posted limits has made road safety look ridiculous," commented Nigel Humphries, spokesman for the ABD.

DfT statistics show that 3,150 people were killed on UK roads in 2006, compared to 3,201 in 2005.

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