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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

Following the last lockdown and the lack of police on the streets and the roads it has been suggested that there has been a sharp increase in the number of uninsured drivers on the roads.

The reasons for this are firstly circumstances as a result of furlough or unemployment causing drivers to believe that they can go without paying for a few months without anyone noticing.

A policemen reported that he’d stopped a driver with no insurance since February and when questioned about having no insurance he said that he didn’t think he needed to have it during lockdown.

These are desperate times. In the past uninsured drivers tended to be irresponsible youngsters, car thieves and other criminal types. But the police have now found that uninsured drivers are normal people in desperate situations.

They need to have use of their cars but simply can’t afford the insurance and are prepared to risk being caught, fined and having their licences taken away. So to combat this situation make sure that your insurance is fully paid.

And if you are travelling less miles than you anticipated when you took out your policy call your insurer and ask for a reduction in the cost.  By Graham Hill

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

BMW has identified almost 3,000 plug-in hybrid models in the UK that could be at risk of a battery fire.

It has issued a recall and has also suspended delivery of affected new models as a preventative measure.

A total of 26,700 vehicles are said to be affected worldwide, of which around 2,930 are either with UK customers or awaiting delivery.

The recall affects plug-in hybrid versions of the 3, 5 and 7 Series, the X1, X2, X3 and X5 SUVs, the 2 Series Active Tourer and the Mini Countryman PHEV, built between 20 January and 18 September 2020.

It also affects i8s built this year.

In a statement, the German carmaker confirmed the details of the recall. It said: “BMW Group has launched a worldwide safety recall and stopped delivery of a small number of plug-in hybrid vehicles as a preventative measure to check the high-voltage battery.”

According to the statement, particles may have entered the battery during the production process, which could lead to a short circuit within the battery cells when it is fully charged. This may lead to a fire.

BMW says it is currently working on a solution to the fault. Until a remedy is available, drivers will be instructed to not charge their vehicle, not to drive in manual or sport mode, and to not use the shift paddles.

BMW is not the only brand to face battery fire fears. Ford was forced to recall almost 21,000 Kuga PHEV models in August due to a battery overheating issue. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The past 90 days have seen a total of 3,805 videos uploaded to the National Dash Cam Safety Portal (NDCSP) – 78% higher than average – despite the impact of Covid-19, says Nextbase.

The new figures have been released today by the dashcam manufacturer and security software specialist Egress, who is responsible for developing and delivering the platform’s technology, show the growing success of the platform.

The National Dash Cam Safety Portal, which allows motorists to quickly and securely upload footage of dangerous driving to the relevant police authority, is now being used by 33 forces, which have collectively received 21,324 uploads in total since 2018, when it was launched.

Saving on average eight hours per case, Nextbase estimates that the platform has saved these forces at least 170,000 hours – the equivalent of more than 20 years’ of police time.

Kelly McCann, sales director at Egress, said: “It has been encouraging to watch the system grow from strength to strength, as we do really believe that this offering can help make the roads a safer place.

“We were a little surprised to see uploads continue to come through during lockdown, as there was less traffic on the roads, but it just goes to show that there were motorists that remained concerned for road safety and did their part to assist the authorities.”

By using the NDCSP system, the public has assisted police in identifying, warning and prosecuting offenders nationwide, says Nextbase.

From court cases to awareness courses, or fixed penalty notices to warning letters, 52% of all cases have been taken further by the relevant force.

The fact that fewer than one in five cases have resulted in no further action (NFA), demonstrates the success of the platform in identifying the most severe of incidents and linking motorists with police in a bid to crack down on this behaviour, argues Nextbase.

Furthermore, it says that the growing success of the NDCSP has inspired further police forces to sign up to use the not-for-profit resource, with more constabularies are set to join before the end of the year.

Richard Browning, director of Nextbase, said: “Just because there are less vehicles on the road, doesn’t necessarily make driving safer.

“In fact, less busy roads can encourage motorists to bend the rules or lose some concentration. However, the Portal was created to make our roads safer and it is encouraging to see that people have still been reporting issues where reckless motorists have thought that they can take advantage of the clear pathways – potentially endangering others.

“We have watched this platform grow from both a public and police perspective and are hugely encouraged by its continued appeal.”

TRL – formerly the Transport Research Laboratory – has said it wants to increase the role of dashcams, and other filming devices such as smartphones, in a bid to reduce the amount of dangerous driving on UK roads by encouraging drivers to upload footage.  By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

The number of drug driving charges has risen by 125% to record levels in the last year, following the introduction of new legislation in 2015.

The significant rise in the number of charges was uncovered by Freedom of Information requests sent to UK police forces by BookMyGarage.com.

Of the 27 police forces across England and Wales that responded, the total number of drug driving charges increased from 4,122 in 2015/16 to 9,270 in 2019/20.

Drug driving became a specific offence in 2015, meaning police could charge someone for drug driving if they had at least one of 16 specified drugs in their blood above a certain limit.

Half of the 16 drugs listed are ‘medicinal’ and so drivers are just as likely to be prosecuted for having a legal drug in their system as they are an illegal drug while behind the wheel.

Sixteen police forces also provided data on the number of drivers who had tested positive for drug driving at the roadside, with the cumulative number of positive tests in these areas more than tripling from 2,619 in 2015/16 to 9,074 in 2019/20.

Not all positive tests necessarily result in the driver being charged, for instance where a roadside test shows as positive, but a police station test comes back as negative.

“Most people are aware of the ongoing problems surrounding drink driving but far fewer people know that drug driving is just as much of a problem,” said Jessica Potts, head of marketing at BookMyGarage.com.

“Although the data suggests the new police powers are enabling forces to arrest and charge more people, it’s alarming that the overall number of drug driving charges continue to rise despite its potential to cause devastating outcomes.

“Motorists should be especially aware that the law doesn’t just apply to illegal drugs. Medicinal drugs, such as those prescribed to treat insomnia or even some pain killers, feature on the list so it’s crucial drivers always check their medication to see if it impairs their ability to drive.”

Of the forces that responded, Essex police charged the most people for drug driving in the last year, with 1,828 charges between March 2019 and February 2020. Merseyside Police had the second highest number of charges at 1,605.

While most forces have seen an increase in the number of charges between 2015/16 and 2019/20, others have seen notable decreases. For instance, the Metropolitan Police saw a peak number of charges in 2016/17 of 1,152 but this has since decreased to just 339 charges in 2019/20.

Despite these figures, almost two thirds of people feel that the rules around drug driving are not being properly enforced.

The National Travel Attitudes Survey, published by the Department for Transport (DfT), found that 63% of respondents in England agreed that ‘the laws on driving whilst impaired by illegal or legal drugs, are not properly enforced’. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Skoda has developed a new Sound Analyser app for its dealers that is able to diagnose faults from a sound recording.

The app can recognise small irregularities in sound patterns and can suggest a range of measures that might be required.

It works by recording noises made by the vehicle while it is running and comparing them with stored sound patterns. In the event of any discrepancies, the app uses an algorithm to determine what they are and how they can be resolved.

Stanislav Pekař, head of aftersales at Skoda Auto, said: “Sound Analyser is a prime example of the new opportunities digitalisation at Skoda can create, even in terms of after sales. We will continue to consistently use artificial intelligence technologies to offer our customers an even more personalised service, thus enhancing the customer experience even further.”

The software is already able to recognise ten patterns – with an accuracy of more than 90%  – including for components such as the steering system, the air conditioning compressor and the clutches in the direct-shift gearbox (DSG). The app is also set up to recognise other sound patterns and will be expanded to include other service items.

Skoda has trialled the smartphone app in 14 countries – including Germany, Russia, Austria and France – since June 2019. A total of 245 Skoda dealers have been taking part in the pilot project. They have been instrumental in providing the audio recordings for the software’s ‘learning process’ and have directly contributed to the app’s development.

Artificial intelligence is a key pillar of Skoda’s digitalisation strategy. Apps like the Sound Analyser can interact with the environment, perceive and weigh up facts, or solve specific problems. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

More people are wanting to travel on their own in their own vehicle due to Covid-19, leading to an increase in private car usage for business journeys, says Jaama.

As a result, the fleet software company believes the management of grey fleet drivers should be a priority for employers.

As mentioned below if employees are now working from home then travelling to the office will now be classed as a business trip.

“Duty of care information needs to be captured and managed properly to ensure drivers are only using grey fleet vehicles which are safe, legal and appropriate for business use,” explained Martin Evans, managing director of Jaama, and director of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

“Companies who just pay allowances and mileage reimbursements without any diligence do so at their peril.”

Jaama says the buoyancy of the used car sector for four to seven-year- old sub-£10,000 cars, suggests more people are updating their own car to carry out more journeys for work purposes.

Evans continued: “Many fleet managers need to make a concerted effort to ensure they gain control of their grey fleet to avoid big problems in the future. All the signs are that the grey fleet car parc will continue to grow over the coming years.”

Fleet News has previously reported how long-term changes to the way people work could result in more employees becoming grey fleet drivers.

Paul Hollick, co-chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), warned that this could have significant consequences for fleets, with more employees joining the ranks of those that drive their car for work, the so-called grey fleet.

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure that grey fleet vehicles are reasonably safe to use, are fit for purpose and are lawfully on the road.

Companies also typically pay Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) to reimburse fuel used in the course of a work trip at 45p per mile.

“Grey fleet could become a bit of a battleground, because of Covid-19,” warned Hollick. “Employees won’t be office-based (in the future), they’ll be home-based, which means their contract of employment might be changed.

“If the employee is classed as home-based rather than office-based a journey from home to the office will then become a business trip.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

One in five (18%) of drivers aged 17-24 admit to taking part in video calls while behind the wheel, while almost a third (29%) of all drivers make and take calls on handheld phones, new research from the RAC suggests.

The illegal use of handheld mobile devices has been studied by the RAC since the 2016 Report on Motoring highlighted the issue was at ‘epidemic levels’.

However, this latest data suggests tougher penalties introduced in 2016, have failed to change in behaviour among motorists, particularly younger drivers.

With police resources stretched, four out of five (79%) drivers told the RAC they support the introduction of camera technology to identify illegal mobile phone use in the UK, with the vast majority (52%) strongly in favour of this happening.

RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our figures highlight what many drivers already know – that the problem of illegal phone use at the wheel has far from disappeared.”

Furthermore, Williams says that the situation is not helped by mobile phone laws. Mobile phone use that doesn’t involve telecommunications, such as checking text messages, recording a video or changing pre-downloaded music, is not covered by the legislation, although drivers could be convicted for not being in proper control of their vehicles.

He added: “It’s significant that motorists are united in their desire to see camera-based technology, like that already in use in other countries, introduced on our roads to catch drivers who risk everyone’s safety by breaking the law in this way.

“If the behaviour of those who continue to think it’s safe to use a handheld phone while driving upwards of a tonne of metal is ever going to change, they need to believe there’s a reasonable chance of being caught.”

An increased popularity in video call services from the likes of WhatsApp and Snapchat are particularly concerning, with younger drivers more than twice as likely to say they make or receive video calls while driving – on average 8% of all UK drivers say they do this, with the figure rising to 13% among those aged 25 to 44.

Equally concerning is just under one-in-10 drivers aged 17 to 24 (9%) say they play games on their phones while driving, making them three-times more likely to do this compared to the average UK driver.

Other drivers’ use of handheld phones is the second biggest overall motoring-related concern identified in the 2020 RAC Report on Motoring research, after the state of local roads – a third of all UK drivers surveyed (32%) say the issue concerns them and strikingly nearly eight-in-10 (79%) now want to see camera technology introduced to catch drivers acting illegally.

The 29% of drivers of all ages in 2020 that say they make and receive calls on handheld phones while driving is a five percentage point increase on last year and the highest proportion since 2016.

While younger drivers are still more likely to do so (42%, down from 51% last year), those in the 25 to 44 age group are also statistically more likely to break the law in this way (32% admit to doing so, almost unchanged on 2019’s figure of 33%).

More positively, the proportion of drivers admitting to other dangerous activities such as checking or sending text messages or taking photos or video appear to be reducing – although it is unclear whether this is simply down to lower overall car use this year as a result of the pandemic.

Less than one in 10 (8%) of all drivers say they text or send other messages while driving, down from 14% last year and from a high of 20% in 2016.

But young drivers are again much more likely to break the law – 15% of those aged 17 to 24 say they are doing it in 2020, although this is down substantially on 2019 (37%).

More than one-in-10 motorists (14%) this year say they check texts or other app notifications while driving, down from 17% in 2019. Among younger drivers, the proportion is 22%, down from 35% last year.

Williams said: “While there’s been a reduction in some elements of this dangerous activity, more people say they are making and taking calls now than at any point since 2016, shortly before tougher penalties were introduced.

“Our findings from 2016 were a watershed moment which led to the UK Government calling for people to make illegal mobile phone use while driving as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.

“The fact drivers still state it’s their second biggest motoring concern of all shows that more progress still needs to be made here.”

Brake, the road safety charity, is calling for a complete ban on the use of a phone when driving, including hands-free.

The road safety campaigners claim this view is supported by evidence, which shows hands-free devices impairing driving as much as hand-held and are urging the Government to provide clarity in the law, before more lives are lost.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake said: “Any use of a phone behind the wheel is dangerous but the fact that such a large proportion of young people admit to making video calls and playing games when driving really beggars belief.

“We need clarity in the law around phone use behind the wheel, and we need it now. The Government must implement a full ban on phone use when driving, including hands-free, to make the dangers crystal clear to the public and to crack-down on this reckless behaviour. The police must also be provided with the right tools and investment to enforce the roads effectively.

“In the wrong hands, a car is a lethal weapon and even a moment’s distraction from the road can have catastrophic consequences. More than 75 people are killed on UK roads every day and with driver distraction levels seemingly on the rise, the Government must step in and act, now.” 

Inspector Frazer Davey, of the Avon and Somerset Police Roads Policing unit, said that the importance of concentrating on driving “cannot be overstated”.

“Using a mobile phone while in charge of a car puts you and everyone else at risk. The consequences of allowing yourself to be distracted while you are driving can be catastrophic. It’s simply not worth it.”

Type of handheld mobile phone use while driving	2020 and 2019 figure (all drivers)	2020 and 2019 figure (drivers aged 17-24)
Make and receive calls	29%, up from 23%	42%, down from 51%
Send texts, social media posts or use the internet	8%, down from 14%	15%, down from 37%
Check texts, social media posts or app notifications	14%, down from 17%	22%, down from 35%
Take photos or record video	6%, down from 13%	14%, down from 35%
Make or receive video calls	8%	18%
Play a game on a mobile phone	3%	9%

Source: representative sample of UK drivers from RAC Report on Motoring. UK sample size: 3,068  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The following article appeared in Commercial Fleet but it applies not just to fleet or company car drivers, all drivers can take part to help keep the roads safer although I have my fears about drivers becoming part of a police state. But if it saves lives I guess it’s a good thing.

Fleet operators and their drivers are being urged to share dashcam footage with police to help prosecute dangerous drivers and improve road safety.

More than 10,000 clips have already been uploaded to the National Dash Cam Safety Portal since its launch last year. The platform allows road users to report serious road incidents and securely upload video footage to the appropriate police force.

In-cab camera manufacturer Nextbase, which developed the portal, told Commercial Fleet more than half (52%) of the uploads have been followed up by police, with drivers being taken to court, having to attend awareness courses, sent warning letters or fined.

“This demonstrates the success of the platform in identifying the most severe incidents and linking motorists with police in a bid to crackdown on this behaviour,” said Nextbase’s Bryn Brooker.

“The whole idea behind it (the platform) was to make the roads a safer place; it was built to remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads.”

Drivers uploading a video must first tick a box that says ‘I am willing to go to court and testify’ if required. Brooker explains this “filters out those people uploading a video of their neighbour running a red light, for example, and ensures that focus is on only the worst of the worst motorists”.

FLEET ROLE

TRL – formerly the Transport Research Laboratory – wants to increase the role of dashcams, and other filming devices such as smartphones, in a bid to reduce the amount of dangerous driving on UK roads by encouraging drivers to upload footage.

Dashcams can provide crucial evidence to TRL’s expert witness and investigations team, but senior consultant Victoria Eyers told Commercial Fleet that working in collision investigation, the “ultimate aim is improving road safety”.

She believes commercial fleet operators using the technology could play a vital role in improving road safety by sharing video footage of dangerous driving, which is witnessed by their drivers.

Eyers explained: “It’s about volume; the more miles of driving you record, the greater the chance of recording examples of bad driving.

“Fleet operators that are covering much higher mileages than a private motorist have the potential to record more instances (of dangerous driving).

“They could, potentially, be a vital source of footage as long as it can be dealt with within the 14-day limit for some offences.”

Auto Windscreens began using the technology across its commercial fleet in 2016 with 340 commercial vehicles and 59 cars fitted with devices from sister company VisionTrack.

Group fleet manager, Shaun Atton, said: “We use the 24/7 managed service; there is a team which specifically reviews our footage and events. If one of our vehicles is involved in an RTI (road traffic incident) then the team raise the FNOL (first notification of loss) with our insurers. This allows us to control costs by having early access to the footage and sharing with relevant parties.”

Furthermore, Auto Windscreens’ drivers can make use of an alert button should they witness any kind of event, which automatically uploads a video for the teams to review.

POLICE RESOURCE

Currently, the majority of police forces – 33 of 45 in the UK – have signed up to the Nextbase initiative, with many individual forces also having their own portals on individual websites.

They have been promoted through Operation Snap, in an effort to encourage more people to upload examples of dangerous driving.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), in a recent report on roads policing, said that video footage recorded on dashcams and helmet cameras was a “cost-effective way” in which forces can deal with road traffic offences.

However, it found examples of forces that had adopted the scheme without enough consideration of potential demand and the resources needed to meet it.

In some forces, it said, “support functions were overwhelmed by the number of submissions”.

This resulted in some being unable to meet the legal requirement to notify registered keepers of vehicles of potential prosecutions.

In others, the process for submitting footage was difficult and there was little or no contact with the people who had been motivated enough to provide it.

The report concluded: “There are obvious benefits to the scheme, but it must be properly resourced and there should be clarity on how and when submitted footage will be used.”

Eyers agrees that resourcing is an issue, despite the National Dash Cam Safety Portal reducing the amount of time it takes police to process clips. Nextbase estimates it saves an average of eight-10 hours of police time for each case.

“If resources could improve in the future then the police could potentially increase the number of prosecutions that result from them,” said Eyers.

Responding to findings of the HMICFRS report, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, said: “Forces are working hard to target those who use our roads dangerously or to commit crime, but we know there is more to do.”

FLEET BENEFITS

The presence of vehicle technology in general has increased significantly in the past decade, with telematics now said to be in more than 60% of commercial vehicles.

“This data can be used effectively to improve driver performance and reduce claims costs by identifying higher risk drivers so interventions can be provided to change driver behaviours and reduce risk,” explained Jon Dye, director of underwriting for Motor at QBE Europe.

“Now we see technologies merging together to the new trend of video telematics. This provides the fleet with a single box solution, and for the insurer it provides a wealth of valuable data for risk management and claims purposes.

“The hope is that as the use of the technology improves, we can drive down the frequency and severity of claims.”

Dashcams have fundamentally changed the way motor claims can be handled. Dye said: “In the past, we had to take the driver’s word for what happened in an incident, which presents challenges. We were often confronted with a pencil sketch of road layouts and positions of third-party vehicles, which also had its challenges.”

Dashcam footage, however, allows insurers to view the incident exactly as it happened, applying the industry’s technical expertise to consider road conditions, speed of travel, visibility, reactions and behaviour of drivers.

“This is factual primary evidence which enables us to make accurate and fair liability decisions,” said Dye. “Dashcam footage also provides additional insights such as parties involved, passenger numbers and speed of impact so we can consider injury likelihood and extent which gives us an added layer of counter-fraud claims management.

“In seconds, we can often see exactly what happened and who was at fault, which means we can settle claims significantly faster and, therefore, at less cost.”

By using video telematics technology, Dye says QBE’s customers also raise the “effectiveness of their fleet and gain valuable intelligence about their employees’ driving”.

“This can be used to inform driver training, improve fuel economy, reduce wear, reduce accident risk and enhance productivity.”

Furthermore, it can be reflected in lower premiums, bringing additional savings to a fleet’s bottom line. By Graham Hill thanks to Commercial Fleet