DfT officials, now admit that they rely on amateur & vested interested advisers on road safety.

Oct. 9, 2012 - PRLog -- In their enquiries about Parliamentary advisers on road safety, The Drivers Union, a road safety group, whose aims include good, true, altruistic, non profit road safety, focused on  charities who are outspoken on road safety; in particular PACTS, (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety). In response Mike Penning, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at The Department for Transport, in a reply to questions via Sir Peter Tapsell MP, says that being a registered charity is enough qualification to advise Parliament on road safety & prosecution.  See  https://sites.google.com/site/driversprotestunion/amateurs-who-spout-road-safety/minister-supports-amateurs-with-vested-interests-as-advisers

Keith Peat, an ex police officer and expert in driving, road accident recording, prosecution and founder of the group explains: ‘In any other life and death pursuit like bungee jumping, free fall parachuting, mountain climbing and so on, ministers and politicians would defer to experts. In issues of road safety and driving it seems that every Tom Dick & Harry may be consulted’. He goes on: ‘Apart from the obvious, that it will result in poor policy, more importantly, it opens the door for vested interest and profiteering’.

The group claim to have exposed many examples of this which they reveal on their website www.youdrive.co  but are particularly concerned about PACTS, whose special parliamentary adviser is an ex school teacher with no experience in road accident investigation or reporting, prosecutions, or has any qualification as a driving expert either. ‘PACTS seem to promote public transport to the disadvantage of road transport.’ They say. See  http://tinyurl.com/9qh8ul6

Members of PACTS range from speed camera suppliers and motor insurance firms as well as companies who run the profitable Speed Awareness Courses which of course are a spin off from the speed cameras.

‘Not only is this very unhealthy ethically, but by allowing such amateur vested interest sources anywhere near parliament will inevitably result in unnecessary casualties and prosecution of drivers, whilst genuine road safety takes second place to amateur vested interests.’ Says Keith Peat