The Today Programme, 11 August 2025. Discussion prompted by government announcing that 3-year eye tests are to be introduced for drivers aged 70+. The BBC wheeled in the usual spokesperson, Edmund King, formerly with the RAC, now “President” of the AA.
His recipe for making roads safer? More police in cars to enforce regulation. Six month ban on same-age passengers for young drivers who have just passed the driving test.
There was nothing about reforming the driving test by including, among other things, virtual reality training to drum home the dangers of inappropriate speed. Nothing about changing the basic rule of the road from priority to equality. No criticism of the system of coercive control, which gives rise to all the regulation that fails to make roads safe.
He talked about a percentage reduction in “accidents”, while my reform agenda, which Today has never aired, would eliminate accidents completely where regulation plays a part. That’s practically all the time, since the misguided rules of the road set the stage for “accidents” to happen in the first place.
Justin Webb just thanked King, as if that was all there was to say on the subject. Pitiful. You can bet it will soon be Sir Edmund King.
