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RAC Foundation

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 is a UK-based transport policy think tank and registered charity (no. 1002705). Established in 2001, it operates as an independent offshoot of RAC Motoring Services, focusing on research and analysis of transport issues affecting road users in the United Kingdom.[1]

History

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The RAC Foundation was established in 1991 as the research division of RAC Motoring Services Ltd, then a subsidiary of the Royal Automobile Club. In 1999, following the sale of Motoring Services by the club, the foundation transitioned to an independent organization. It secured funding from Royal Automobile Club members and later obtained charitable status, according to organizational records.[2][3]

Governance and structure

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The RAC Foundation is governed by a board of six trustees, including Neville Jackson, who serves as chair.[2]

Advisory bodies  

- Public Policy Committee: Chaired by Neville Jackson, this advisory group comprises approximately 12 members with professional backgrounds in transport policy, academia, and business. The committee provides guidance on research priorities, strategic direction, and policy development, according to organizational documents.

Leadership  

- Director: Steve Gooding CB, appointed in May 2015, oversees daily operations alongside permanent staff.[4]

Work

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The foundation's research falls into four main categories: economics, environment, mobility and safety. All of the research is available on the RAC Foundation website including interactive and automatically updated data charts relating to such things as fuel prices and the take -p of ultra-low emission vehicles.

Some research is carried out in-house. The foundation also commissions experts in their field to investigate key areas of transport policy.

In 2010 and 2011 the foundation was one of the sponsors of the RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge. The foundation analysed the data collected from the low-carbon cars that completed the run and published its conclusions in Shades of Green (2010)[5] and The Green Charge (2011).[6]

In 2017 the foundation contributed to Gergely Raccuja's winning entry in the Wolfson Economics Prize. The work - Miles Better - explored how a distance-based charge collected by insurers might eventually replace fuel duty and VED as revenue falls with the greening of the vehicle fleet.

In June 2018 it was announced that The RAC Foundation was to receive £480,000 of funding from the Department for Transport to support its Road Collision Investigation Project with the aim of trialling "an innovative new approach to road casualty investigation, looking more closely at what is really causing road collisions."

Reports

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Key publications and research include:

  • Roads and Reality[7]
  • The Car in British Society[8]
  • Governing and Paying for England’s Roads[9]
  • Keeping the Nation Moving[10]
  • Fuel for Thought, the What, Why and How of Motoring Taxation[11]
  • On the Move: Car and Rail Travel Trends[12]
  • Powering Ahead: Future of Low-Carbon Cars and Fuels[13]
  • Ploughing On - Winter Resilience Review[14]
  • The Car and the Commute[15]
  • Graduated Driver Licensing - Mapping the Cost of Young Driver Accidents[16]
  • Saving Lives by Lowering Legal Drink-Drive Limit[17]
  • Effectiveness of Average Speed Cameras[18]
  • Air Quality and Road Transport[19]
  • Diesel Scrappage - Could it Work?[20]
  • Towards an Accident Investigation Branch for Roads[21]
  • New car mileage - analysis of MOT data[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Guardian and Observer style guide: R". The Guardian. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "About Us". RAC Foundation. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Charity Commission for England and Wales". Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Top Civil Servant to Lead Transport Research Charity". RAC Foundation. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Shades of Green". RAC Foundation. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  6. ^ "The Green Charge". RAC Foundation. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Roads and Reality". RAC Foundation. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  8. ^ "The Car in British Society". RAC Foundation. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  9. ^ "Governing and Paying for England's Roads". RAC Foundation. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  10. ^ "Keeping the Nation Moving". RAC Foundation. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  11. ^ "Fuel for Thought". RAC Foundation. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  12. ^ "On the Move Car and Rail Travel Trends". RAC Foundation. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Powering Ahead: Future of Low-Carbon Cars and Fuels". RAC Foundation. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  14. ^ "Ploughing On - Winter Resilience Review". RAC Foundation. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  15. ^ "The Car and the Commute". RAC Foundation. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  16. ^ "Graduated Driver Licensing - Mapping the Cost of Young Driver Accidents". RAC Foundation. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  17. ^ "saving Lives by Lowering Legal Drink-Drive Limit" (PDF). RAC Foundation. 16 December 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Effectiveness of Average Speed Cameras" (PDF). RAC Foundation. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Air Quality and Road Transport". RAC Foundation. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  20. ^ "Diesel Scrappage - Could it Work?" (PDF). RAC Foundation. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Towards an Accident Investigation Branch for Roads" (PDF). RAC Foundation. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  22. ^ "New car mileage based on analysis of MOT data". www.racfoundation.org. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
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