AA Charitable Trust
For Road Safety and the Environment
The AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and The Environment (UK charity no. 1125119) was registered on 22 July 2008.
Charitable objectives
The objectives of the charity are;
The preservation and protection of human life and health by the prevention of personal injury to, and death of, individuals on roads and in motor vehicles in the United Kingdom in particular but not exclusively through:
- Educating road users in road safety
- Campaigning on issues of road safety
- Promoting understanding and awareness of road safety and eco-driving to reduce environmental impact of motoring and to protect the environment.
Trustees
The Charity trustees are:
Andrew Goodsell, Chairman
Edmund King, Director
John Davies
Andrew Strong
Simon Douglas
David Wallace
Melissa Poulter
Chris Howell
Schemes
The Charity aims to launch one major new initiative each year.
Drive Smart
Offering totally free eco-safe driver training packages
The Charity's first target was new drivers 'most at risk' – those who have passed their driving test in the last twelve months and have had an accident or points on their licence.
- 20% of new drivers have a crash within 12 months of passing their test
- A young driver is 10 times more likely to be involved in a serious collision than a more experienced driver
- Teenagers are more likely to die on the roads than from stabbings or drugs
'Drive Smart' was launched in January 2009, in the first instance to offer 2,000 totally free eco-safe driver training packages (two one-hour sessions with a fully-qualified AA driving instructor) designed specifically for the Charity to help new drivers –. the initiative, which has the support of transport ministers, focuses on improving safety as well as 'eco-driving' techniques to cut fuel consumption.
The Charity has been working closely with a number of partners, including some police forces, to promote 'Drive Smart' – Greater Manchester, North Wales and Northamptonshire Police were the first on board.
In Police Forces running the scheme, new drivers stopped and cautioned or charged with offences such as not wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone while driving are written to by the Police Force and encouraged to apply for Drive Smart courses.
A number of other Police Forces have expressed an interest in Drive Smart and the charity will work closely with these and other potential partners to promote the Drive Smart scheme following its New Year's resolution to keep tackling the teenage road carnage in 2010, by extending the free Drive Smart programme.
Apply for a free Drive Smart Course »
AA charitable Trust launches free driver training » (17 January 2009)
Police join AA scheme to tackle teenage road carnage » (14 May 2009)
AA charity renews commitment to tackling young driver road deaths in 2010 » (15 January 2010)
Drive Confident
Free guided tuition and practice for qualified drivers lacking confidence
In February 2010, the AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and the Environment launched a second driver training programme, 'Drive Confident', aimed at qualified drivers in need of refresher driver training to increase confidence on the road.
'Drive Confident' offers two hours (two one-hour slots, or one two-hour slot) of free guided tuition and practice for qualified drivers who lack confidence in some areas of driving, or who might need some refresher training.
The in-car sessions will include an initial assessment followed by guided practice and coaching. An accompanying workbook supports the in-car sessions.
Drive Confident will be of benefit to:
- Drivers with a full licence who have returned to driving having not driven for a long time
- Drivers with specific concerns or difficulties with for example:
- driving at night or in heavy rain/fog
- driving in heavy traffic or rush-hour conditions
- driving on motorways or dual carriageways
- parking
- roundabouts
- busy junctions/traffic lights
- overtaking
Apply for a Drive Confident course »
AA Charity launches new scheme for drivers lacking confidence » (17 March 2010)
Future plans
The Charity's trustees are considering a number of possible ideas for new initiatives in the future.
Motorcycle Safety
- Motorcycles make up approximately 1% of traffic but account for 20% of fatalities
The trustees are considering several options to tackle motorcycle safety including the possibility of providing support to 'bike safe' and 'scooter safe' schemes.
Drug Driving
- Half of drivers believe that drug driving is a more common problem than drink driving
- Over 50,000 drivers a year would fail roadside 'drugalyzer' tests if such devices were being used by UK Police Forces.
The AA Charitable Trust is considering creating a schools education programme to take the message of the dangers of drug driving to young people 16-18 years old.
Other ideas
The AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and the Environment would be pleased to receive ideas/proposals from AA Members for possible future schemes aligned with its charitable objectives;
The preservation and protection of human life and health by the prevention of personal injury to, and death of, individuals on roads and in motor vehicles in the United Kingdom in particular but not exclusively through:
- Educating road users in road safety
- Campaigning on issues of road safety
- Promoting understanding and awareness of road safety and eco-driving to reduce environmental impact of motoring and to protect the environment.
Contact the AA Charitable Trust » if you have any ideas for possible future initiatives or if you would like to make a donation.
8 February 2011