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Mercedes-Benz will accept legal responsibility for collisions that occur in its cars fitted with a new Level 3 Automated Lane Keeping System.

Its new Drive Pilot system has been approved for us on German highways and can control the cars steering, acceleration and brakes at speed up to 40mph.

The car maker said it will accept liability in cases where the crash was caused by a fault with its technology, but not when the driver has “failed to comply with their duty of care”.

Drive Pilot will be initially offered on the S-Class and EQS, as an option, in German Markets. Mercedes also plans to introduce the technology in US markets, once it gains approval.

Matthew Avery, chief research strategy officer at Thatcham Research, said: “The issue of liability in automated vehicles is complex and nuanced. It’s too crude to suggest that the carmaker should be liable in all circumstances; there will be times when an accident is and isn’t the carmaker’s responsibility.

“What is apparent in the case of Mercedes, the first to have approval – albeit in Germany – for technology that will allow drivers to disengage and do other things, is that when the automated system is in control, the carmaker will be liable.

“What’s less straightforward is an accident that occurs when the driver has failed “to comply with their duty of care”, for example when refusing to retake control of the car when prompted.

“It will be incumbent on carmakers to ensure drivers of their cars are confident, comfortable and have a strong grasp of their legal responsibilities – which in the UK would be in accordance with the Road Traffic Act. Absolute clarity is required for drivers in terms of their legal obligations behind the wheel and their understanding of how the system operates, especially during a handover from system to driver.

“This is challenged by the fact that a driver can take a long time to come back ‘into the loop’ after extended periods of effectively being chauffeured by the system.

“Insurance claims will require scrutiny, so the provision of data to help insurers understand who was in control of the vehicle at the time of an accident, system or driver, will also be vital.

“Trust will diminish if confusion reigns and drawn-out legal cases become common, hampering adoption of the technology and the realisation of its many societal benefits.”

The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have published a joint report, making recommendations for the safe and responsible introduction of self-driving vehicles.

Under the Law Commissions’ proposals, when a car is authorised by a regulatory agency as having “self-driving features” and those features are in-use, the person in the driving seat would no longer be responsible for how the car drives. Instead, the company or body that obtained the authorisation – typically the vehicle manufacturer should face regulatory sanctions if anything goes wrong.

The report recommends introducing a new Automated Vehicles Act, to regulate vehicles that can drive themselves and suggests that a clear distinction should be made between features which just assist drivers, such as adaptive cruise control, and those that are self-driving.

Thatcham Research is currently leading the development of a consumer safety rating to support the safe adoption of Automated Driving Systems. Funded by government organisation Zenzic and in co-operation with Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Testbed partners, the rating will give UK motorists and insurers greater clarity around relative performance and safe use of automated technology. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

Electric and hybrid vehicles are taking longer to repair in body shops than petrol and diesel equivalents, according to Activate Group.

Date from the claims management firm shows that electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids took 1.5 days longer, on average, to repair.

The cost of fixing an alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) was also found to be higher, with EVs 29% higher and hybrids 66% higher than ICE vehicles.

There are key factors driving this trend: Parts for new models are often expensive and green, or after-market alternatives are not available; many EV models are high-end vehicles where parts are more costly; AFV body work is often made of light plastics which are not as widely repaired as metal panels.

Jo Seys, head of engineering at Activate Group, said: “For most repairs, the battery must be powered down before work can begin and powered up at completion. This can take up to an hour in total. In some cases, the battery must be removed, and reinstalled at the end of the job. Times vary, but this process can add up to four hours of labour time.

“To work safely with high-voltage battery, recovery agents and repairers must have the correct training and equipment. The risks involved in working with electricity means AFVs can’t simply be treated in the same way as an ICE vehicle.

“The high voltage batteries cannot come into close contact with heat.  This means they often need longer in the paint oven on lower temperatures and fast curing methods, such as infra-red are not suitable from some AFV repairs. The batteries also present a significant health and safety risk and there are additional requirements within the repair process. Trained technicians refer to manufacturer, or Thatcham guidelines, each time they complete an AFV repair.”

The situation becomes significantly more complex and dangerous following a serious collision where the high voltage battery has been damaged. In this case, there is a strong risk of fire, and specialist training and equipment are needed to safely handle the situation.

Seys added: “In recent months, the industry has faced lengthy delays on EV and hybrid parts, particularly for Teslas, increasing the key-to-key times. Delivery times of new AFV vehicles have also been impacted by Covid-19, affecting global supply and a shortage of semi-conductors, a vital component of modern vehicles. In Spring 2022, Tesla had to close its Shanghai factory for three weeks due to the lockdowns in China, losing the production of around 42,000 vehicles.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

This is the response from a law firm answering this question for a car dealer.

The situation involves a vehicle being damaged while left with a garage, but the damage incurred was through no fault of the garage.

The questions arising from this type of situation are:

Who is responsible for keeping the property safe?

Who pays for the damage to be fixed?

The principle is that of Bailment. The owner of the property is the Bailor, and Bailment is the act of the Bailor delivering goods to another party, the Bailee, without a transfer of ownership. A vehicle being put into the garage for repairs is an obvious example, as is a hire vehicle being hired out.

So just to be clear, you are the Bailor, the owner of the car. The act of leaving your car with a garage for repairs, service, MOT etc. is Bailment and the garage that has your car on their premises is the Bailee.

Most people, and that includes me, assumes that as soon as you hand over the keys to your car that the garage is immediately responsible for any damage to the car irrespective as to how the damage was caused. It would seem that isn’t true. This is what they say:

Unless there is a contractual term that makes the Bailee responsible for insuring or replacing the vehicle, then they do not owe a duty if the goods are damaged as a result of something occurring that is not due to negligence from the Bailee.

In other words, if your vehicle is left with the garage for repairs and an arsonist decides to go on the rampage there, or a major storm decides to pay a visit and rips the roof off of your car or van, the garage does not owe a duty to repair or replace it.

So, unbeknown to me and I’m sure many reading this, if you are the Bailor, the owner, it is important to have the requisite insurance to cover you in the above or similar scenarios.

It is down to the Bailor to check the insurance position with the Bailee if they have any concerns, not the Bailee’s job to advise the Bailor of this situation.

If you are the Bailee, the garage owner, you may wish to make it clear in the terms and conditions that your insurance will not cover any damage sustained due to events out of your control. Obviously, you are responsible for any damage caused as a result of your negligence. It may save an argument and ill feeling if you don’t make this clear upfront. By Graham Hill

Drivers are being warned about the dangers of tailgating after cameras captured 60,000-plus incidents on a stretch of the M1 in a single year.

Eight in 10 motorists said they were aware of the ‘two-second rule’, in a National Highways poll, while three-quarters (75%) claimed they had never driven too close to the vehicle in front within the previous three months.

However, a recent trial of new tailgating cameras on a stretch of the M1 captured 60,343 incidents of vehicles driving too close over a 12-month period.

Last year, National Highways and Northamptonshire Police joined forces in the trial to raise awareness and deter tailgating.

Cameras were used on lane one of a stretch of the M1 over 12 months to automatically detect vehicles driving too close.

From the 60,343 detections, there were 10,994 repeat offenders and 2,144 letters were sent to drivers warning they had driven too close and highlighting the dangers of not leaving safe braking distances.

Drivers caught in the trial were not prosecuted but advised they had been tailgating and given educational material demonstrating the dangers of driving too close.

Driving too close to another vehicle can lead to prosecution for ‘driving without due care and attention’. This offence carries a minimum fine of £100 and three penalty points, and in some cases more severe penalties or a court appearance.

National Highways has now launched a campaign to tackle the issue of tailgating which is a factor in around one in eight crashes on England’s motorways and major A roads.

Jeremy Phillips, National Highways head of road safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Unfortunately, as highlighted by the M1 trial, we know that too many people are driving too close on our roads.

“Most tailgating is unintentional by drivers who don’t realise that they are infringing on someone else’s space. But not leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front is not only very frightening for that driver, it could have devastating consequences.”

Phillips warned that closer a driver gets, the less time they have to react and to stop safely. “To avoid inadvertently getting too close to the vehicle in front, we would urge drivers to use the two-second rule and to always ‘stay safe, stay back’,” he added.

The Highway Code tells drivers to allow at least a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front on roads carrying faster-moving traffic and in tunnels where visibility is reduced.

The gap should be wider as speeds increase. It rises to 2.4 seconds – about 53 metres – when driving at 50mph and 3.1 seconds – or 96 metres – at 70mph.

Furthermore, the gap should be at least doubled on wet roads and increased still further on icy roads.

To use the rule, drivers should allow the vehicle in front to pass a fixed object such as a lamp post or road sign then count to two seconds. If they reach two seconds before reaching the reference marker they need to drop back.

Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, says it is vital that drivers leave enough distance between the vehicle in front in order to react in time to any sudden dangers.

“We’d urge everyone to respect the two-second rule to keep them, and others on the road, safe,” said Wakeford.

National Highways 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

More than one in six of all fatal crashes involved alcohol in 2020 compared to around one in seven in previous years, figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) suggest.

Final estimates for 2020 of road casualties in Great Britain involving illegal alcohol levels revealed 220 people died in crashes where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit compared to 230 in 2019.

Over the same period, the total number of crashes where at least one driver was over the alcohol limit was 4,620 in 2020, an average of 12 crashes a day.

Of these crashes, an estimated 1,070 were serious accidents, representing an average of around 26 serious accidents a week and only a minor fall from 1,390 in 2019.

A total of 6,480 people were killed or injured in drink drive accidents, compared with 7,800 the year before.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “While there has been a small reduction in the number of drink-driving related deaths and injuries compared to 2019, when you factor in the reduction in traffic due to Covid-19, the role of alcohol in fatal crashes actually went up.” 

According to separate DfT data, traffic was down by a quarter overall in 2020 – with weekdays slumping to 35% of pre-Covid levels in April.

“Possibly as a result, police carried out the lowest number of breath tests on record – nearly 50,000 fewer than in 2019,” said Hunter Abbott, managing director of breathalyser firm AlcoSense.

“Yet research shows a significant rise in alcohol consumption at home during lockdown, increasing the likelihood of ‘morning after’ drink driving.”

He added: “Police should also be testing more drivers involved in an accident. In 2020 this had declined to 39% compared with 54% in 2010.

“Of those actually tested following a collision 3,278 were over the limit – at 5.6%, that’s the highest failure rate for 10 years”.

The Scottish Government reduced the alcohol limit for drivers in 2014, from 80mg per 100 millilitres of blood to 50mg. However, the legal limit in the rest of the UK remains 80mg, the highest level in the developed world.

Scientific research shows that at the limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, despite not breaking the law, you are 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than when sober.

But in a poll conducted by AlcoSense, more than a third of motorists (36%) think their ability to drive is only impaired if they are actually over the legal drink drive limit.

Greig said: “There is no one simple answer to reducing these figures, but IAM RoadSmart believes a much smarter package of measures is needed from the Government including a lower drink-drive limit to reinforce good behaviour, fast-track of evidential roadside testing machines to release police resources and tailored approaches to help drivers with alcohol problems.

“Rehabilitation courses work, and we believe all those convicted of drink-driving should be sent on one automatically rather than having to opt in.

“More use of alcolocks – which require the driver to blow into a mouthpiece on the device before starting or continuing to operate the vehicle – and extra penalties such as vehicle forfeiture could all be part of a more joined-up approach to the problem.

“Hard core drink-drivers are simply not getting the message, and these figures will not improve until policy changes.”

Analysis by Brake shows that, between 2012 and 2019, there were a staggering 46,860 drink-driving-related crashes, causing 1,860 deaths and 13,340 serious injuries.

Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at road safety charity Brake, said: “We need to change the culture around drink-driving, starting with more awareness that any amount can be deadly.

“While measures such as effective ongoing police enforcement and public information campaigns, including Think!, are helping to reduce deaths and injuries, Government should follow Scotland’s lead and reduce the legal limit. Such a move would make it clear to drivers that no amount of alcohol is safe when behind the wheel.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The experience of using public electric vehicle (EV) charge points has been slammed, with complicated payment methods and poor reliability major issues, new research suggests.

Three of the five most significant barriers to people choosing an electric car relate to anxiety about charging, with a third (33%) citing a lack of charge points on long journeys and more than one-in-four (29%) respondents to the Which? survey concerned about a lack of charge points close to their home.

Launching a policy paper on improving EV infrastructure across the UK, Which? says that there is an urgent need to improve the consumer experience of using public charge points, which is often “frustrating and inconvenient”.

It is calling for a major upgrade to the UK’s electric car public charging system infrastructure, with the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) estimating there will be eight million drivers across the UK who will not have the ability to charge an EV from home.

Currently, the Which? research reveals that only 13% of electric and plug-in hybrid car charging currently happens via public chargers.

However, as the UK approaches the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030 and drivers switch to electric, the number of people who will be completely reliant on public charging will rise starkly.

This is why it is vital that access to the public charging network is improved, as well as the experience of using it, it says.

Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, explained: “Our research shows that few electric vehicle owners currently rely on the public charging network, but this will have to change if millions of people are going to switch from petrol and diesel vehicles in the next decade.

“Improving the UK’s flawed charging infrastructure will support more motorists to make the switch to a zero-emission vehicle.

“The current confusing and complex system needs to be quickly overhauled if the network is “going to be ready for the ban on new fossil fuel cars in 2030.

Charging must be easy, accessible and affordable if people are going to make the move to an electric car.’

“To that end, we are today publishing our first electric vehicle charging policy paper that sets out our recommendations for the future of public charging infrastructure across the UK nations.”

The Which? research and policy paper comes in the wake of a proposal from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), for a new regulator called Ofcharge to govern targets and ensure every part of the country has accessible, available and affordable charging for their EV.

Part of a new seven-point plan, published yesterday (Wednesday, February 15) by the SMMT, the automotive trade body says that, while most current plug-in car drivers charge at home, public charge points remain critical to consumer confidence and are still relied upon by many fleets, as well as the third of British households that do not have designated off-street parking.

Tanya Sinclair, policy director for the UK and Ireland at ChargePoint, agreed that EV charging points are vital for the UK to achieve widespread EV uptake, and it is necessary to get this infrastructure in place to remove key logistical barriers to consumer adoption.

However, she said: “It is important that this is done in the right way – it’s not just about needing a large concentration of charging stations but the speed, location, ease of use and incentives need to be carefully considered.

“Governments and councils should be actively enabling and facilitating EV charging infrastructure. The DfT must come through on its commitment to standardise the driver’s experience of charging by mandating roaming and enforcing minimum uptime for charging stations, which we hope to see in the much overdue EV Infrastructure Strategy.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Report by Jonathon Eaves, managing director SVT and traffic services at Teletrac Navman

The car crime rates in the automotive industry continue to be a concern for Manufacturers and vehicle owners alike. Data from the last 10 years demonstrates car crime has not significantly decreased despite the technological innovations seen in the sector.

Looking at the latest statistics across the UK, in 2010 the number of stolen vehicles in England and Wales totalled 93,000, and ten years later – despite the innovations we’ve seen in technology – the figure sits at a similar level of 95,000.

The statistics highlight the demand, opportunity, and tactics to steal vehicles is still prevalent – despite some manufacturers giving the impression modern cars are almost impossible to steal.

Furthermore, it demonstrates why original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to continually look at methods to prevent car crime.

This delay of new cars has meant vehicles themselves have become an increasingly valuable asset.

The market price is at record levels, with the average used car price during December 2021 rising to £17,816, which is 30.5% higher than the same month in 2020.

And as the value of cars goes up, so does the risk of car crime.

We know there is high demand, but do thieves continue to have the same opportunity and use the same tactics to steal cars with the new, modern systems we find in vehicles today?

Vehicles are predominantly produced using the modern key fobs and the more traditional remote key – and thieves’ tactics to combat the new technology has developed in tandem.

Currently, the most common method of vehicle theft is a relay attack with the new, modern key fob.

Criminals use hardware to clone the signal from your keyless entry fob and ‘trick’ your vehicle into thinking that the key is nearby, allowing the holder of the cloned signal access to your car and the ability to start and drive it away.

This leads to one of the big questions around the future vehicle security: what can be done to reduce the risk of car crime and keep insurance rates down?

Vehicles remain expensive, desirable and in demand. And with this comes an increased risk of car crime and insurance rates reflect this.

So, car owners need to stay vigilant and keep any personal belongings out of sight to reduce risk.

But when it comes to a relay attack, investing in a faraday pouch would be recommended, as it protects against it by blocking any signals entering or leaving the pouch.

But no car is guaranteed to be safe from theft, and to keep insurance costs low, vehicle tracking systems are an essential tool in car crime.

Many new cars now have built in security features such as e-call, b-call and stolen vehicle tracking, all of which can locate a vehicle.

However, unlike these systems, ours work remotely from the vehicle and across various countries.

One OEM to recently introduce such a measure is Ford, using stolen vehicle services (SVS) in upcoming models such as the new Ford Focus and Mustang Mach-e.

Charles Nolan, retail connectivity solutions director at Ford Europe, said: “We know that thefts have been on the rise and want to give our customers greater peace of mind when they are away from their vehicles.

“Ford has worked hard to develop a robust security offering that provides 24-hour support using our connected car technology, initially available soon for our latest Ford Focus & Mustang Mach-E GT owners but also for other models in the future.

“SVS allows customers to have that added layer of protection for their vehicles, where should the worst happen, the authorities and SVS team can work together to recover a vehicle, minimising stress and effort for the customer.”

Looking at the automotive sector today, it is evident vehicles continue to be at risk of theft.

There is clear value in more OEMs and vehicle owners putting in place methods to stay ahead, utilising the technology available to reduce theft opportunities and maximise the chance of recovery.

Vigilant behaviour and vehicle tracking are vital to increasing the likelihood of recovering your vehicle in the shortest time and intact. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

UK used car transactions grew by 11.5% in 2021, with 7,530,956 units changing hands, according to according new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

It means that 777,997 more cars changed hands than in 2020, a year which was even more badly affected by lockdowns and unsettled consumer and business confidence, says the automotive trade body.

Despite this growth, the 2021 performance was still 5.5% below the pre-pandemic five-year average.

SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes, said: “It’s good to see the used car market return to growth, even if activity is still below where we were pre-pandemic.

“With the global shortage of semiconductors set to ease later this year, releasing the squeeze on new car supply, we expect more of the latest, cleanest and zero emission models to become available for second owners.

“The demand for personal mobility has undoubtedly increased during the pandemic, so it’s vital we have healthy new car sales to drive fleet renewal and the used car market if we are to improve air quality and address climate change.”

Quarter four rounded off a volatile year for the market, with transactions falling by 3.1% to just over 1.6 million, as semiconductor shortages impacting new car sales in the second half of the year squeezed supply of stock into the used market.

The second quarter was, in fact, the best Q2 on record and, with 2.1 million transactions, the busiest period of the year as the UK emerged from renewed lockdowns.

May was the highpoint with 769,782 cars finding new keepers in the month, while December performance fell by -10.2% as Omicron cases rose and restrictions increased.

Used electric vehicles

Annual demand for battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEVs) vehicles hit record levels, growing by 119.2% and 75.6% to 40,228 and 56,861 transactions respectively.

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) transactions also rose by 50.3% to 137,639, a new high. Growth was driven by an increasing number of ultra-low and zero-emission models filtering through to second owners and, combined, these vehicles represented 3.1% of the market.

Used petrol and diesel powertrain transactions, meanwhile, increased by 10.7% and 9.8% respectively, with a combined 7,277,291 units changing hands.

It meant that even with record demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles, 96.6% of all used car sales were still either petrol or diesel models, evidence of how far the market must go to meet zero emission ambitions.

In terms of segment performance, superminis remained the most popular body type during 2021, taking a third of the market (32.7%), followed by lower medium (26.4%) and dual purpose (13.2%), with all segments seeing transactions increase.

Demand for dual purpose cars rose most significantly, up 18.3% with almost a million changing hands.

Richard Peberdy, UK head of automotive at KPMG, said: “As new car production slowed, used car demand rose, as did prices.

“That’s of course good news for those sellers that can find a replacement newer car to buy but presents an additional cost challenge for some consumers whose budgets are being squeezed on a number of fronts.

“As supply chain problems eventually ease, more new cars will be produced, more used cars will enter the market and their prices will begin to level off.”

Breaking the trend of the new car market, where grey reigns as the best-selling colour, black was most popular among used buyers in 2021 with more than 1.6 million black cars finding new owners.

Silver and blue rounded off the top three with 1.28 million and 1.25 million transactions respectively.

At the other end of spectrum, nearly 40,000 yellow used cars changed hands, 20,230 people chose a bronze car and pink trailed in last place, representing nearly 5,000 transactions.

James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars, said: “Used car sales may have slowed during the final months of 2021, but that can’t take the shine off what was a strong, if volatile, year for the second-hand market.

“Overall second-hand sales in 2021 were up 11.5% compared to 2020, well ahead of the 1% year-on-year increase recorded in new car sales.

“Nevertheless, the lagged impact of the semiconductor shortage which held back the production of new cars for much of 2021 is now starting to be felt in the second-hand market too.

“Fewer nearly-new models are coming onto the used market, and finite supply pegged back used car sales figures in the final months of 2021 – albeit to a lesser extent than the decline seen in new car sales.

“Despite these supply issues, demand remains strong, with thousands of drivers choosing to buy second-hand rather than wait for a new car.”

Chris Evans, head of sales at Heycar, says that used cars prices remain at a record high, with little indication of this changing in the short to medium term.

“We’ve seen the average part exchange value shoot up by 55% in the past twelve months, while the value of leads we send to our dealer network is now 17% higher,” he added.

“As the final coronavirus restrictions are rolled back, it’s likely there will be greater footfall on forecourts. And it might give more buyers the confidence to finally make a purchase they may have put off as a result of the pandemic.

“Yet lack of stock does remain a challenge for both dealers and consumers.”

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

VNC Automotive has questioned the automotive industry’s rush to replace conventional controls with touchscreens.

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The software company says that manufacturers are at risk of alienating customers, compromising safety, and drawing the ire of regulatory bodies.

“Car manufacturers are locked in a race,” says Tom Blackie, CEO of VNC Automotive. “Not the kind that demands ever-increasing power outputs or shrinking zero-to-sixty times, however. Instead, the results of this contest are measured in inches.”

With each new model launch, vehicle manufacturers push the boundaries a little further, it says, with a race to expand the digital real estate, and make it more prominent.

Tablet-sized screens perched on the dashboard originally became popular and were soon joined by digital instrument clusters before infotainment systems were defined by the emergence of Tesla, with almost everything controlled by a giant screen in the middle of the dashboard.

It meant that even the most basic interaction, from changing the radio station to turning on the headlights, required the driver to delve into a menu.

However, with its technology installed in more than 35 million vehicles worldwide, VNC Automotive questions whether today’s touch-based interfaces are really the best solution.

“Having a giant touchscreen interface is really about saving hardware costs by implementing everything in software,” says Blackie.

“Recently, though, there’s been growing disquiet as years of ergonomic study and usability experience are abandoned in the rush to cram everything onto a single screen.”

A recent study by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory and road safety charity IAM Roadsmart found that drivers took their eyes off the road for as long as 20 seconds when asked to play a track from Spotify using a touchscreen interface, long enough to travel a distance of 630 metres at 70mph – more than a third of a mile.

During that time, many drivers struggled to maintain their lane position, while some failed to respond to a simulated emergency event.

Overall, reaction times increased by up to 57% when interacting with these devices; driving while over the alcohol limit by comparison only increases reaction times by 12%.

In light of this research, Fleet News reported how recent changes to law around the use of mobile phones while driving were a “missed opportunity”, according to road safety experts.

Dissatisfaction with the proliferation of these interfaces isalso  growing among drivers, suggests VNC Automotive, and with the European Commission estimating that driver distraction is a factor in up to 30% of all accidents in Europe, it seems likely legislators will soon feel compelled to step in.

“The sluggishness that plagued early systems has now largely been addressed, but the lack of physical feedback on activating a touchpoint still demands that drivers glance at the screen for visual confirmation,” explained Blackie.

“With many cars lacking a convenient surface to brace against, the task of aiming at a small control with an extended arm in a car that’s bouncing around can quickly become a repetitive one, prolonging the time spent diverting focus from the road.”

Haptic feedback systems have improved from early electromagnetic actuators mounted behind a sprung display to clever electrostatic technologies that can even replicate different textures.

However, there remains the challenge of muscle-memory: in the past, drivers could feel their way to their favourite radio station, says VNC Automotive. Now, the function of a touchpoint varies depending on context.

Not only that, but the design of the interface itself is critical to reducing the demands for a driver’s attention.

Frequently used controls, it explains, should be styled to stand out from their surroundings; icons should be easily discernible; the status of a function should be readily apparent at a glance; colours should be chosen to avoid wash-out in sunlight. These are considerations that should be given precedence over all others.

Some OEMs believe the answer is more screens. The Honda e and Mercedes EQS, for example, both feature a swath of screens across the dashboard, offering a digital landscape almost as wide as the car itself.

This marks a clear departure from the days of infotainment systems optimised for use by the driver alone; now, passengers are afforded equal access.

“Shifting the focus to the passengers in the vehicle allows each occupant to enjoy an individual experience,” continued Blackie.

“Once you make it easier for people to select their own entertainment, it frees the driver-focused interfaces of the burden of being both a control surface and a point of content consumption.

“At that point, we can redesign the UI and UX to regain the ease of usability that’s been lost.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Keyless car theft accounted for 94% of all vehicles recovered by Tracker last year, reaching an all-time high.

Thieves take the vehicles using relay technology to receive the signal from a key inside a house and transfer it to a portable device, allowing them to unlock and drive the car.

Tracker’s data reveals that London is the place where cars were most frequently stolen and recovered. The West Midlands, Manchester, Essex and Kent complete the  top five regions for vehicle theft and recovery. 

Northern territories like South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Merseyside also proved popular regions for criminals wanting to steal cars. However, the home county of Surrey with a close proximity to London, also appears in the top 10.

Four-wheeled drive vehicles were the most popular choice of cars targeted by thieves in the top five regions, apart from Manchester. When analysing Tracker’s data of the top five types of vehicles stolen in each region, criminals in Manchester clearly have a desire for sportier models such as the Audi A4 Sport Cabriolet and Jaguar XF.

Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker, said: “The five regions topping our most stolen and recovered league table are the largest populated counties in the country, which accounts for their high level of theft activity.

In addition, London provides some great corridor routes through Kent and Essex to key shipping ports where criminals load desirable cars into containers to be shipped to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“2021 continued to see the fall out of Covid-19 restrictions, with January and February proving quieter months for criminals stealing cars due to the lockdown.  However, as the year went on, we saw a significant rise in cars being stolen. 

This was made worse by the shortage in car spare parts worldwide, as criminals quickly recognised how lucrative it was to steal cars specifically for their parts. As a result, there was an increase in ‘chop shops’ being set up across the UK. These buildings are equipped to strip down stolen vehicles for their expensive parts which are then sold on very lucratively.”

The threat of criminals stealing cars in 2022 is just as prevalent, wans Tracker. It recommends that vehicles are protected using visual deterrents, such as crook locks and wheel clamps, as well as CCTV and immobilisers.

Stolen vehicle tracking technology, meanwhile, helped recover more than £9 million worth of stolen vehicles last year. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News