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Driver wellbeing is ‘in the spotlight’ due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and needs addressing, says Rosie Sharp, behavioural sciences researcher at TRL.

Organisations that fail to resolve issues with driver wellbeing can result in more collisions, traffic violations and poor fuel economy, as drivers with poor mental health make more driver errors and drive more erratically, says Sharp.

She said: “Mental health and wellbeing isn’t usually something that you would initially associate with driver performance and the success of a fleet business, but I think it has more impact than most people realise.

“The other issues that organisations can face if they if they don’t address any wellbeing issues are things like staff being off sick, high staff turnover, poor customer service and even damage a corporate reputation.”

Sharp will be speaking at this year’s Virtual Fleet & Mobility Live conference on the second day of the event at 12pm.

In her session, ‘Mental health and wellbeing: looking after your drivers’, Sharp will be providing delegates with best practice advice on how to create an environment that promotes mental health and wellbeing and infrastructure to deal with wellbeing issues.

She said: “Change in attitudes and stigma towards mental health, particularly in male dominated industries which we know that fleets usually are, is not something that’s going to be done overnight.

“What can be done, is create an open and kind of reassuring organisation for employees to come forward and to be able to feel comfortable in talking about their mental health.

“Putting things in place like confidential employee helplines, trained managers or mental health first aiders and having post incident reviews, considering any mental health conditions that could have contributed to collisions.

“Driver wellbeing in always important, but I think particularly this year, in terms of Covid-19 it’s really in the spotlight now and something that needs addressing.”

Matt Hammond, head of fleet at Altrad Services, also said that focus on driver mental health and wellbeing can be key to safety and risk management within a fleet.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Cap HPI says it is prepared to handle any large volume shifts in pricing from manufacturers that may arise from a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.

Fleet News revealed last week how leasing companies are being warned about a potential price hike on vehicles if the UK and EU fail to strike a trade deal.

In letters sent to vehicle lease provides by major carmakers, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz, they say that the threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit is to blame for the potential price hike.

If no deal is reached and ratified before December 31, automotive trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has previously warned that World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-preferential rules, including a 10% tariff on cars and up to 22% on vans and trucks would apply.

That would have equated to a price increase of almost £3,000 on the average UK exported car to the EU, a £2,000 price increase on UK vans exported to the EU and a price increase of £1,800 on cars and vans imported from the EU, if fully passed on to UK consumers.

However, the UK is able to set its own tariff levels (as all countries can) and has since published the UK Global Tariff rates, which is the tariff schedule that will be adopted from January 1, 2021.

Following a consultation, the Government has agreed to simplify the tariff levels, with a 10% rate on all cars, vans and HGVs.

Manufacturers are working with Cap HPI on the scenarios relating to the potential charges and where the manufacturers have used the Cap HPI template, the new pricing change data will be ready in its system and visible in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.

It says that data will be available from January 1, 2021, to ensure fleets can continue to price vehicles accurately and easily.

Despite the Government’s target date of October 31 for a deal to be struck, negotiations are ongoing. If the protracted discussions end in a no-deal and no further talks are agreed, tariffs will come into force on January 1, 2021.

The impact will be significant, says Cap HPI, with vehicle manufacturers having to amend their vehicle and options prices to take these tariffs into account.

Jon Clay, head of vehicle identification at Cap HPI, said: “The team at Cap HPI has worked diligently with partners to ensure the new vehicle data systems are prepared for any eventuality.  If a no-deal Brexit is enforced, Cap HPI has ensured it has the teams in place to process the data supplied in an agreed format with the manufacturers.”

Vehicle manufacturers have been working closely with Cap HPI on a wide range of scenarios for some time to ensure a smooth transition for customers. Any pricing changes will start to be visible as early as the manufacturer allows, but most likely changing from January 1, it said. The changes will be made on a model range by range basis.

Experts at Cap HPI have offered guidance on the potential impact of Brexit on used car values.

Andrew Mee, head of forecast UK at Cap HPI, said: “As yet there is no evidence that Brexit concerns are having a negative effect on used car values.

“An outcome that sees tariffs on new cars may result in a reduction in new cars sales, which would be good news for used values.

“In the short term, higher new car prices may pull up some used prices, especially for newer cars.”

However, he said used values are still likely to fall during 2021 as the negative impact of coronavirus on consumer confidence, which could be worsened if Brexit has further negative impact on GDP and unemployment, is likely to outweigh the positive impact of higher new prices.

In the longer term, from three years into the future, the reduction in used supply should help lift used values, which by then Cap HPI expects will have recovered from the coronavirus impact.

Mee concluded: “We will not be altering our future value forecasts until we know for certain that tariffs are being introduced, how long they might last for, and post Brexit economic forecasts are updated, so that we can fully assess the broader picture.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

British Car Auction’s online car retailing platform cinch has secured a £50m finance facility from HSBC and Natwest to boost its inventory.

Cinch launched in July 2019 as a rival to Auto Trader, offering car retailers an online marketing platform on which to promote their stock for sale. Last month (October 2020), it announced that it would begin selling cars, putting it in direct competition with its clients; such as online retailer Cazoo.

It allows consumes to find, buy, finance and part exchange their car online, with a 14-day money back guarantee.

As a marketplace, dealers, car manufacturers and leasing companies can also offer their vehicles directly to consumers through the cinch platform.

Geoffrey Head, cinch’s finance director, said: “This finance facility from HSBC UK and NatWest comes at a pivotal time for our business and will allow us to further develop our end-to-end digital offering for consumers.

The pandemic has drastically changed consumer behaviours and the ability to sell vehicles online will continue to be critical across the automotive sector. We are committed to developing this offering for both our consumers and partners across the industry.”

The new funding package, which includes £35m of funding from HSBC UK and £15m from NatWest, will be used to bolster cinch’s own inventory programme with around 5,000 new vehicles. Cinch says, along with its dealer partner stock, it will be among the UK’s largest direct-to-consumer platforms.

Gerard Haughey, head of global trade and receivables finance, Large Corporate, at HSBC UK, said: “Cinch’s fully digital offering is playing a central role in transforming the used car market for the digital age.

We are delighted to be able to support the business with a fairly unique inventory only asset-based lending facility as the team at cinch build this innovative service for the benefit of consumers and all players in the industry.”

Martin Noakes, head of asset based lending at NatWest, added: “This innovative financing package will help cinch achieve its ambition of providing cars to consumers in a convenient way through its online platform.

Our support will enable cinch to futureproof its business and keep pace with changing consumer behaviour in their industry.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New cameras aimed at catching drivers tailgating have identified some 10,000 vehicles committing the offence in the first two weeks of trials.

Tailgating, driving too closely to another vehicle, is a factor in around one in eight casualties on England’s motorways and major A roads.

Highways England and police have joined forces to tackle the offence, with motorists caught tailgating to be sent letters advising them they were too close to another vehicle and highlighting the dangers of not leaving safe braking distances.

Highways England’s head of road safety, Jeremy Philips, said: “These new cameras have, sadly, highlighted just how many people are driving too close on our roads.

“We understand that most tailgating is unintentional by drivers who are simply unaware they are dangerously invading someone else’s space. But not leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front can be very frightening and intimidating – it could also prove fatal.”

More than 130 people killed or seriously injured in incidents involving people driving too close in 2018.

Caroline Layton, a data and intelligence analyst for Highways England, says she feared her small car was going to be “crushed” when she was tailgated by a lorry in motorway roadworks.

She was travelling within the speed limit through roadworks on the M27 when the lorry started to pull closer to her vehicle.

Footage captured on her rear dash cam shows the driver flashing his lights and gesticulating at her before he eventually indicates and overtakes her.

She said: “He came up really close, just a couple of metres behind. I thought I had to slow down because if it hit me at 50mph I would be crushed.

“This was very intimidating behaviour and likely to cause a crash and serious injury. If anyone had stopped in front of me he would have gone into the back of my car and I would have been sandwiched in the middle.

“From the driver’s seat, all I could see in my rear-view mirror was the lorry’s grill.”

A survey for Highways England found that while more than a quarter of drivers admitted to tailgating, nearly nine in 10 people say they have either been tailgated or seen it.

PC Dave Lee of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team, which is supporting the trial, said: “Motorists who experience tailgating can often feel intimidated and put under pressure to increase their speed in a bid to create more space between them and the offending vehicle.

“However, we have seen first-hand the devastating consequences which tailgating can cause. People who carry out this extremely dangerous behaviour are not just putting themselves at risk, but the lives of other road users.

“Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our county’s road network remains a policing priority for the Force, which is why it is important to work with our partners on such campaigns in a bid to save lives by making our roads safer.”

Highways England has been working with infrastructure consultancy AECOM on the cameras.

Philips said: “We are trialling the new cameras to make drivers aware of their behaviour and encourage better driving.

“We are also using the Space Invader video game character as a quick reminder to drivers of the risks of tailgating. Our message is simple – Don’t be a Space Invader, Stay safe, stay back.”

Highways England has a dedicated webpage where drivers can find more information about tailgating and what they can do to stay safe.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The number of people paying company car tax has again fallen substantially, with HMRC reporting 30,000 fewer people receiving the benefit.

The latest benefit-in-kind (BIK) statistics, published by HMRC, show there were 870,000 company car drivers in 2018-19 – a massive 30,000 year-on-year decline.

The provisional figures suggest that the number of employees receiving the benefit has fallen by some 90,000 in the past five years, from 960,000 in 2015/16.

HMRC has now confirmed that there were 900,000 people paying company car tax in 2017/18 – provisional figures published last year suggested 890,000.

That was a fall of 40,000 on some 940,000 company car tax-payers reported the previous tax year (2016/17).

HMRC figures have also shown that the amount of company car tax collected increased. Despite the decline in employees paying BIK on a car between 2016/17 and 2017/18, the taxman collected £1.62 billion – £70m more than the £1.55bn it collected the previous tax year.

The reduction in company cars seen over the past few years coincides with the introduction of voluntary payrolling, according to HMRC.

Like last year, it is claiming that at least part of the reduction is due to employers moving from submitting P11D returns to collecting tax on company cars through payroll.

In 2016 to 2017 employers were not able or required to submit more detailed information about company cars when collecting tax on this benefit through voluntary payrolling.

From 2017 to 2018 employers payrolling car benefit were able to provide more detailed data about the cars being provided through their FPS (Full Payment Submission), which HMRC told Fleet News would rectify the situation.

However, providing this data was not mandatory until 2018 to 2019 and even after mandation of providing more detailed data through FPS, HMRC says that there are non-trivial levels of non-reporting.

As such, it maintains that a significant number of company cars were not reported to HMRC between 2016 to 2017 and 2018 to 2019.

It is not possible to produce accurate estimates of the number of unreported company cars, but HMRC analysis suggests they account for a “high proportion” of the reduction observed.

The fleet industry will be hoping that new company car tax rates, which include a zero percentage rate for pure electric vehicles, introduced from April 2020 will go some way to bucking this downward trend.

Leasing companies began reporting a surge in interest in plug-in vehicles almost immediately after the new rates were announced in July 2019.

One year on, and demand shows no sign of diminishing. David Bushnell, principal consultant at Alphabet GB, said: “Year-on-year, the electric and hybrid sector is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. In 2020, we’re starting to see more of a shift towards pure electric vehicles over hybrids, with a 124% increase of pure electric vehicle orders compared with 2019. Hybrid vehicles remain popular however, and sales have continued to rise compared with last year’s figures, up by 41%.”

Almost half (48%) of Alphabet company car orders this year, have been for electric (12%) and plug-in hybrids (36%). By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

IAM RoadSmart is calling for clearer guidelines on the use of police technology to encourage use of mobile safety cameras and dash cams in prosecuting motorists using handheld mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts.

It found that nearly two thirds of police forces contacted were not using mobile safety cameras to prosecute motorists spotted committing these offences, as they incorrectly thought it was illegal. Unbelievable!

The road safety charity believes the inconstancy is encouraging motorists to flout the law and has highlighted the issue as part of its response to the Department for Transport’s Roads Policing review.

Neil Greig, policy and research director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Clearer guidelines must be created so that police forces can be confident that they can enforce laws with the equipment available to them today – laws which were specifically designed to reduce the number of road casualties.

“Our research showed that the use of mobile safety cameras to pursue phone users and seatbelt offenders varies from one force to another. What we need are clear and consistent guidelines on what the cameras can be used for, what training staff need and how the images can be used as evidence.

Stiffer penalties are only part of the enforcement jigsaw and fear of being caught must be increased so that resources are not wasted, or drivers think they can get away with flouting the law.”

The findings, which came from a Freedom of Information request, revealed that out of the 44 police forces, only 16 of them used images from the cameras to pursue these offences as a matter of routine, with a further four doing so occasionally.

In addition, not all forces have adopted ‘Operation Snap’, which seeks to integrate dash cam footage into the prosecution system.

With 70% of drivers thinking mobile phone use behind the wheel has got worse in the last three years and 90% seeing it as a threat to their personal safety, IAM RoadSmart believes more must be done to utilise available technologies to improve road safety and reduce the number of road casualties.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

Manufacturers are warning leasing companies that they cannot guarantee company car prices beyond the end of the year, even for some models being ordered now.

In letters sent to vehicle lease provides by major carmakers, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz, they say that the threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit is to blame for the potential price hike.

If no deal is reached and ratified before December 31, World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-preferential rules, including a 10% tariff on cars and up to 22% on vans and trucks would apply.

That would equate to a price increase of almost £3,000 on the average UK exported car to the EU, a £2,000 price increase on UK vans exported to the EU and a price increase of £1,800 on cars and vans imported from the EU, if fully passed on to UK consumers, according to UK Automotive Trade Report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

It adds that additional customs duties, costs and complexity would significantly disrupt sourcing of parts and components from the EU.

A price hike could see rentals increased and result in company car drivers paying more in benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax thanks to higher P11d prices.

Mercedes-Benz says in a letter sent to leasing companies, that it will guarantee the prices of all Mercedes-Benz and Smart cars ordered before Saturday (October 31), that have a quoted UK delivery date on its ordering system prior to December 31, regardless of its arrival date into the UK.

Mercedes-Benz said: “Should a customs duty tariff become applicable on cars imported into the UK after leaving the EU Customs Union and Single Market, we would look to increase the price of our cars accordingly, to offset the amount of the tariff (unless covered by the stated price protection).

“The increase would be applicable to all vehicles and factory fitted options, whether marked sold or unsold and regardless of the order, allocation date or sales channel. This would potentially vary model by model.”

BMW issued its warning a few weeks before MB, saying that “unless there is a free trade agreement with the EU, additional customs duties are likely to be applied to BMW and MINI vehicles imported into the UK”.

“This means that any vehicles which are delivered into the UK on or after January 1, 2021, regardless of date ordered, may have additional customs duties imposed on them,” it said.

“Should there be a no-deal Brexit, BMW UK will provide details of the implications of that including any price changes for vehicles as soon as possible.”

It added that “orders must be confirmed within the BMW Retailer ordering system on, or before December 31 to receive price protection against the economic price increase”.

“Any unfilled orders will be highlighted to you by the supplying retailer or leasing company and will not be price protected. Economic price protection does not include the potential additional customs duties.”

It was similar warning from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which said it is “not in a position to guarantee pricing for vehicles that are registered after December 31”.

All vehicles, regardless of build location, it says may be subject to a price increase when registered from January 1, 2021.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group in a letter sent to leasing companies, on behalf of its VW, Audi, Seat, VW Commercial Vehicles and Skoda brands, says it is closely monitoring developments surrounding the UK’s transitional period.

As part of its preparations, it says that it has established an understanding of all Brexit eventualities and is “confident” of its readiness.

Actions it has taken include: obtaining an EORI number (used for customs declarations); optimising stock availability to mitigate the risk of supply constraints; appointing customs agents allowing it to import cars and parts into the UK in line with HMRC regulations; and implementing and tested required systems changes.

It adds that in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, the “application of import tariffs and/or increases to prices are required, then we will communicate our plans to deal with this as quickly as possible”.

“In the meantime, we reserve the right to amend the price/discount of vehicles at any time if a change to regulation, legislation, application of tariffs, duties, taxes or other charge/event causes an increase to the costs of supply of vehicles,” it said.

Trade talks between the EU and the UK Government are ongoing.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the extended talks were “a very good sign” a deal can be done.

But he told the BBC: “We have got to make sure it is a deal that works, not just for our partners in Europe… but one that works for the United Kingdom.”

The two sides are thought to be working on legal texts, but Whitehall sources have indicated major sticking points – like fishing rights and competition rules – remain unresolved.

The UK left the EU on January 31 but has been in a transition period – continuing to follow EU rules and pay into the bloc – while the two sides try to agree a post-Brexit trade agreement.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Police forces and safer roads partnerships are being urged to adopt a new speed camera enforcement strategy to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on UK roads.

Road Safety Support has released, ‘Enforcement Strategy – Raising the Game’, a report which calls for forces to leave traditional camera enforcement behind and introduce a new wide-area, ‘flexible’ approach to speed camera operations.

Provisional data shows that road deaths in the UK were higher in 2019, than in 2010.

There were 1,721 reported road deaths in 2019, similar to levels seen in 2012, data from the Department for Transport (DfT) shows.

Road Safety Support says the report highlights the complacency among drivers in relation to speed camera use and urges forces to adopt a new approach to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured.

It recommends a step change to increase the perception of speed camera detection to encourage motorists to drive more carefully on all roads, not just where they expect to see a camera.

Mobile speed camera vans should be used to support traditional road policing efforts, because they can detect offences over a larger range and can be moved around frequently, the report states.

Detective chief superintendent, Andy Cox, of Lincolnshire Police and national lead for fatal collision investigation reporting to the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), said he backs the report.

He said: “Speeding remains the biggest risk to road safety and should be the number one focus and priority for traffic enforcement.

“I would urge all forces to download this report, if they haven’t already done so, and follow the recommendations in it in relation to enforcement and communications.

“I urge people to drive within the speed limit, stay safe and keep a clean licence. I thank most lawful road users who are doing so.”

Trevor Hall, managing director of Road Safety Support, said: “Police forces and safer roads partnerships have very effective technology at their fingertips that we know reduces casualties; we have the evidence.

“We just need to adopt a new strategy to use it more efficiently and, through regular, proactive communications, help the public to understand that if they speed or commit other offences on the roads, there is every chance that they will be caught.”

Police forces in Northumbria, Essex, Wales and North Yorkshire have made changes to their enforcement strategies based on the recommendations in the ‘Raising the Game’ report.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A man who fraudulently bought £27,000 of fuel in eight months using a company fuel card has been given an 18-month suspended jail sentence.

Steven Green, 45, began working as a driver for a shed company in Wisbech in July 2018 and was given a company fuel card.

A month later, in August 2018, his employment was terminated, but Green kept the fuel card and then purchased £27,268 worth of fuel between September 2018 and April 2019.

Company bosses noticed the large amount after reviewing the card balances in April last year.

Police investigating the incident established that Green was the person behind the purchases.

Officers from Norfolk Constabulary also confirmed they had done a stop check on Green in their area in January 2019 and reported he had a number of empty 25 litre containers in his vehicle.

During the investigation it emerged that Green had attempted to purchased a final £255 worth of fuel, but when the card was declined he left without paying.

Green pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and making off without payment.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for 18 months at Cambridge Crown Court on Monday October 19.

He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 50 days rehabilitation activity requirement.

Detective Constable, Ahmed Ishaq, who investigated, told the Peterborough Telegraph: “It’s clear Green thought he could get away with using the fuel card and nothing was going to stop him until the company cancelled the card.

“He has defrauded the company out of a substantial amount of money and I am glad justice has been done.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government is being urged to revise its plans to introduce automated lane keeping systems (ALKS) onto UK roads in early 2021, because it will put road users’ lives at risk.

Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) are calling on the Government to carry out further safety tests before the technology is introduced.

Thatcham Research and the ABI say that as it stands it is not safe enough to be classified as ‘automated driving’, because the functionality of ALKS technology and the regulations under which they will operate will mean that they cannot replicate what a competent and engaged human driver.

The Government could give the go-ahead for the automated lane keeping technology to be the first automated driving system on UK motorways up to speeds of 70 mph from the spring – pending the results of a safety consultation that ends on October 27.

It will mark the first time a driver can legally take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road and allow their vehicle to drive for them.

Thatcham Research says it has serious safety concerns about this plan, because automated lane keeping systems are largely based on today’s assisted driving technology.

“The Government’s plan threatens road safety,” warned Matthew Avery, Thatcham Research director of research. “Motorists could feasibly watch television in their car from early next year because they believe their automated lane keeping system can be completely trusted to do the job of a human driver.

“But that’s not the reality. The limitations of the technology mean it should be classified as ‘assisted driving’, because the driver must be engaged, ready to take over.”

James Dalton, ABI director of general insurance policy, added: “The insurance industry is 100% committed to supporting the development of automated vehicles, which have the potential to dramatically improve road safety and revolutionise our transport systems.

“Vehicles equipped with an automated lane-keeping system are a great step towards developing automated vehicles.

“However, drivers must not be given unrealistic expectations about a system’s capability. Thatcham Research has identified some concerning scenarios where ALKS may not operate safely without the driver intervening. We strongly believe the timings for the introduction of ALKS should be revised to prevent lives being put at risk.”

The scenarios that Thatcham Research as identified, in which automated lane keeping system technology will not respond in the same way as a competent driver on a UK motorway, are:

Debris in the carriageway

Debris caused 11 serious accidents on UK motorways in 2019. Automated lane keeping system technology may not see this type of hazard and will continue in lane at its set speed, potentially causing a serious collision. An attentive driver, however, should recognise debris and attempt to move around it by safely changing lanes.

Pedestrian carriageway encroachment

Pedestrian casualties are increasing on UK motorways and accounted for 23% of Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) on those roads in 2019. If a pedestrian encroaches on the carriageway while emerging from a broken-down vehicle, a human driver would either slow to a safe speed or move out of lane to avoid conflict. An automated lane keeping system won’t be allowed to do this because it’s forced to stay in lane and so will continue at motorway speed towards the pedestrian, significantly reducing the ability to brake and avoid a collision.

Motorway lane closure

There were 70 accidents caused by cars driving along a closed lane – marked with a red ‘X’ – on smart motorways in 2019. Automated lane keeping systems may not recognise a closed lane and break the law. If the vehicle does recognise the closed lane, it can only stop in lane under the red ‘X’, creating an additional hazard.

Avery said: “Current technology requires an attentive driver to be engaged so they can re-take control of the vehicle when required.

“Automated lane keeping system technology would need a quantum leap in development to be able to cope with these very real scenarios safely.

“With today’s radar sensors only able to monitor a relatively short distance up the carriageway and automated lane keeping system-equipped cars bound by legislation that will not allow them to change lane autonomously, it’s crucial that sensor performance moves on dramatically before a system can be classified as automated.”

The sensors contained within today’s Assisted Driving technology can only interpret up to around 120 metres. At motorway speeds, that distance allows only four seconds to take back control and avoid an incident.

But current studies suggest a driver needs more than 15 seconds to properly engage and react appropriately to a hazard. That’s 500 metres more required distance than today’s technology provides.

Thatcham Research and the ABI passionately believe in the safe adoption of Automated Driving technology because it will ultimately reduce accidents.

To support the development of suitable technology, both bodies published a ‘Defining Safe Automated Driving’ document in 2019 that clearly outlines the 12 key principles that must be met to ensure a safe transition towards an automated driving future for all road users.

But, crucially, the automated lane keeping systems the Government are proposing in 2021 only meet 2 of these 12 principles, thus failing to satisfy key safety criteria, it says.

Avery said: “Our conclusion is automated lane keeping system technology is not safe enough to be classified as automated. We believe it should be regarded as assisted technology because the driver needs to remain alert.

“The Government’s proposed timeline for the introduction of automated technology must be revised. It simply isn’t safe enough and its introduction will put UK motorists’ lives at risk.”

Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) will make a joint submission to the Government’s Automated Lane Keeping System consultation before it closes to formally present their concerns around safety and liability.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News