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Highways England bosses will not face corporate manslaughter charges for deaths caused by two collisions on all-lane running sections of the M1 in South Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire Police concluded that the organisation cannot be held liable for the offence because, in legal terms, it did not owe road users a ‘relevant duty of care’ under the terms set out in the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

The investigation was launched following concerns expressed by senior coroner Nicola Mundy at the pre-inquest review into the death of Nargis Begum.

Begum was killed in September 2018 when another vehicle collided with her husband’s Nissan Qashqai, which had broken down on the M1.

A separate collision, which led to the deaths of Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu in June 2019, was also investigated by South Yorkshire Police. In both instances, the lack of a hard shoulder was considered a contributing factor to the deaths.

Assistant chief constable Sarah Poolman, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “I would like to express my heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives on the smart motorway in South Yorkshire. Families and campaigners are fighting with dignity and admirable determination in their search for answers and action following these tragedies.

“The force launched a ‘scoping exercise’ to ascertain whether there is a reasonable suspicion that Highways England may have committed the criminal offence of corporate manslaughter. Within our terms of reference, we also included the incident which led to the deaths of Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu.

“As part of our work, we sought specialist advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Having considered the CPS advice, we have concluded that in the circumstances, Highways England cannot be held liable for the offence of corporate manslaughter.”

Following the death of Begum, a death by careless driving investigation was launched into the driver of the vehicle involved in the collision. A file was submitted to the CPS and charges were not authorised. The driver was subsequently released with no further action.

Lorry driver Prezemyslaw Szuba was jailed for 10 months for causing the deaths of Mercer and Murgeanu by careless driving. He claimed the collision would have been avoidable if there had been a hard shoulder.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is halting the rollout of new, all-lane running smart motorway schemes until five years of safety data is available.

The move has been welcomed by MPs and campaigners, who have been calling for the construction of new smart motorways to be paused while safety concerns were addressed.

A Transport Committee report, published last year, concluded there was not enough safety and economic data to justify continuing with the Government’s plans to roll out an additional 300 miles of all-lane running motorway by 2025.

The report said Government plans to remove the hard shoulder from all future smart motorways and use the lane for live traffic are “premature”.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is being urged to adopt EU vehicle safety measures that are due to come into effect in July.

The package of 15 integrated measures includes better direct vision in HGVs, automated emergency braking that detects pedestrians and cyclists, and intelligent speed adaptation.

The UK supported these measures, which apply to new cars, vans, lorries and buses, until it left the EU. After Brexit the new rules will not automatically apply.

A group of former Transport Ministers, including serving MP Sir Peter Bottomley, Father of the House of Commons, say the UK now needs adopt the regulations to avoid putting the safety of its road users at risk.

David Davies, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), which advises the Government, said: “There has been little progress in reducing road deaths and injuries over the past decade (apart from during the 2020 lockdown).

Here is a package of measures that would kick start a new chapter. It comes at almost no cost to government or the motorist. We support the call from former transport ministers for the government to at least match the standards that will apply in Northern Ireland. It could demonstrate the UK’s new independence by going further and faster.”

The measures have the support of road safety stakeholders and the UK automotive industry, as compliance with these standards will be a requirement for exporting vehicles to Europe from July this year.

Under the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU, they will also apply to Northern Ireland.

In a letter to Shapps, the former Transport Ministers said not adopting the new standards “risks putting the UK automotive industry at a competitive disadvantage.”

The Government consulted on new vehicle regulations in November 2021. A response has not yet been published.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New mobile phone laws while driving will come into force from March 25, with research suggesting many drivers are ignorant of the changes.

It had been thought that the new rules, which ban drivers from using their phones to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games, would take effect alongside changes introduce to the Highway Code from Saturday (January 29).

However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that the new rules will take effect from March 25, with the necessary legislation now making its way through Parliament.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “This is a much needed upgrade of the law to help make our roads safer.

“Mobile phones offer many distractions and this sends a clear message that picking them up to use them will not be tolerated.”

The law will also become tougher as the use of smartwatches, tablets and laptops behind the wheel will apply.

King added: “Drivers will be extremely limited on when they can pick up their phone, mainly to call the emergency services when there was no opportunity to safely pull over and to make contactless payments at drive-thrus.

“Being sat in a traffic jam or waiting at the lights is not an excuse, we want people to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”

The Government announced late last year that it would tighten the rules on the use of mobile phones, making it illegal to use a hand-held device under virtually any circumstance while driving.

It was already illegal to text or make a phone call (other than in an emergency) using a hand-held device while driving.

Anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.

The Government says that drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands-free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav, if it’s secured in a cradle.

A study by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has found that almost half of van drivers are risking a £200 fine and six penalty points on their licence as a result of using a sat nav app on their smartphone.

The research of 1,000 UK van drivers found 46% use an app on their smartphone.

While it is still legal to use sat nav on your mobile phone, it must be safely secured to the dashboard or windscreen, where it must not block your view.

David Hanna, head of sales operations at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “We know that van drivers rely on sat navs to get them from one job to the next, but it’s important they do so legally.”

Previous legislation had made it a criminal offence to use a hand-held mobile phone to call or text while driving, but not for other actions such as taking photos.

The law said that an offence is committed if a driver uses a handheld mobile phone for “interactive telecommunication” while behind the wheel.

The phrase reflected how, when the law was written in 2003, smartphones were not in existence and mobile devices were used for sending texts or making calls.

It has enabled lawyers to successfully argue that using a phone’s camera while driving does not constitute “interactive telecommunication”.

It was brought to a head in 2019, when the Director of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal with the High Court after Ramsey Barreto had a conviction quashed for filming a crash on his mobile phone.

The 51-year-old was prosecuted and found guilty after police saw him driving past an accident using his phone to make a video. However, he had the conviction overturned at Isleworth Crown Court, after his lawyers successfully argued that the law only banned the use of mobile phones to speak or communicate while behind the wheel.

Publishing its decision in July 2019, the High Court dismissed the appeal, agreeing with Barreto’s lawyers.

Drivers concerned over Highway Code changes

Separate research from Venson Automotive Solutions reveals that not all motorists support Highway Code changes, believing they could create more dangerous situations on UK roads, opposed to reducing them.

According to the Venson survey, 79% of motorists disagree with the change that allows cyclists to pass slower-moving or stationary traffic on the right or left, including at the approach to junctions.

Cyclists will be advised they should proceed with caution, especially when deciding whether it is safe to pass lorries or other large vehicles. The question being asked by motorists is “what is deemed safe?”, says Venson.

However, almost half of respondents agree with the new rule which states drivers should remain behind cyclists and motorcyclists at junctions, even if the cyclist is waiting to turn and are positioned close to the kerb.

Changes include requesting drivers to give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which the driver is turning.  This is supported by 44% of survey respondents.

In addition, drivers will have to give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel crossing. 

Pedestrians and cyclists will also be allowed to cross the road in front of slow-moving traffic if the changes are approved.

Alison Bell, marketing director for Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “There is a lot of new information for drivers to take onboard.

“It’s essential that businesses operating a fleet of vehicles have a process in place to allow drivers to familiarise themselves with new changes, as well as brush up on existing rules. 

“Businesses and drivers have a duty of care to themselves, other road users and pedestrians. A failure to understand the new rules and correctly implement them could result in financial penalties, law breaking or worse, guilty of an avoidable accident.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Compensation Experts have revealed the top 10 most accident-prone cities based on road accidents and accidents in the workplace.

Using data gathered by The Office of National Statistics (ONS) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE), The Compensation Experts have broken down the top 10 most accident-prone cities in the UK based on total road and workplace accidents per capita.

Kingston upon Hull claimed the top spot; there were 603 reported-road traffic accidents and 207 workplace accidents reported last year, that makes for a total accident count of 910.

Peterborough follows as the second top accident-prone city with 327 road accidents and 232 workplace accidents, totally 559 accidents. Peterborough’s lower population increases its accidents per capital to 0.0028.

Portsmouth comes in third position, seeing 427 road traffic accidents and 142 workplace accidents, giving Portsmouth an accident per capita rate of 0.0027.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson at The Compensation Experts, said: “With more accidents happening in cities up and down the country each year, it’s more important than ever to ensure you’re covered should the worst happen, but we urge Britons to stay safe and be vigilant when out and about.

“To see which areas are the most accident prone in the UK, please read our full study.”

Fleets and business drivers are being warned of major changes to the Highway Code, which take effect from Saturday (January 29).

The new rules are aimed at improving road safety for vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

For more information on the study visit The Compensation Expert website.

Rank	City	No. of Road Accidents	No. of Workplace Accidents	Total Accidents	Accidents per capita (Index Score)
1	Kingston upon Hull	603	307	910	1.000
2	Peterborough	327	232	559	0.713
3	Portsmouth	427	142	569	0.672
4	Nottingham	553	319	872	0.648
5	London	49386	23448	72834	0.588
6	Wakefield	387	451	838	0.570
7	Derby	415	190	605	0.560
8	Brighton	553	131	684	0.556
9	Birmingham	1802	851	2653	0.549
10	Wolverhampton	376	238	614	0.547

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The fitment of camera systems/digital recording has reduced collisions or near-misses for 59% of fleets, a survey by Brigade Electronics, has revealed.

55% of survey respondents also said it improved driver behaviour, while 44% safety technology had helped with insurance claims.

The road safety company comissioned a survey of the readers of Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines to get their views on the reasons they use cameras and video technology on their fleets, how useful they are, and what they consider when they decide to invest.

Brigade said that clients are playing an increasing role in the adoption of this technology, as 12% of respondents said cameras are a contractual requirement from a client, a 3% rise on 2020.

The survey revealed that one-fifth of operators have no plans to use road safety technology and the most common reason (44%) is that it is not seen as relevant to the operation.

Brigade said that, changes to the Highway Code that came into effect in November with further new guidance being added on January 29, will increase the responsibility of commercial vehicle drivers, making it more important to be able to mitigate risk.

The new hierarchy of road users means those who are most likely to be seriously harmed, such as pedestrians and cyclists, will have greater priority over other road users – with HGV drivers ranked lowest.

Chris Hanson-Abbot chairman BE of Brigade Electronics, said: “It’s good to see that the benefits of cameras and other safety technology are being recognised by fleet operators.

“As cameras on their own are a passive technology that does not alert the driver to act, Brigade always recommends that they are combined with active technology such as sensor systems with driver alerts to reduce collisions.

“However, there is still some way to go. Only 47% of fleets have 100% of vehicles fitted with the technology – despite overwhelming evidence they improve safety and save lives.

“That said, only 2% of operators said their fleets had no safety technology at all, which is encouraging.”

The survey also revealed how customers who start using the technology are quickly convinced of the benefits – on a scale of 1 to 5, 73% rate vehicle camera and recording technology as a 4 or 5.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Tracker has revealed that the Range Rover Sport has been named the most commonly stolen and recovered vehicle for the third consecutive year.

Analysis of data by the stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) company, Tracker Network UK, shows that Range Rover and Land Rover models dominated in 2021, with a total of seven models accounting for almost half (44%) of all stolen cars recovered by Tracker last year.

Mercedes-Benz accounted for almost one in five (18%) vehicles the company recovered.

With keyless car entry systems becoming increasingly commonplace, Tracker says it is no surprise that keyless theft has risen to an all-time high; 94% of all vehicles recovered by Tracker in 2021 were stolen without the thief having possession of the keys.

Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker, says that due to the pandemic, global demand for car parts has created a boom in ‘chop-shops’ – buildings which house stolen vehicles for stripping down so their expensive parts can be sold on.

Furthermore, according to Wain, the lack of parts for new car manufacturing resulted in a surge of sales in the second-hand car market, creating a lucrative business for car thieves to fill the shortage.

“Prestige models have always been the go-to for criminals who exploit the demand for these desirable cars in territories like Europe, Middle East and Africa,” he added.

“We are continuously intercepting shipping containers packed with stolen vehicles at ports around the country and 2021 was no different. However, due to the pandemic lower value cars have also seen an increase in theft rates.”

The BMW X5, which has held the top spot in Tracker’s league table six times in the last ten years, slides down from fourth place in 2020 to fifth position in 2021.

The Audi A4 makes its first appearance since 2011, holding position nine alongside the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The Audi Q7 sneaks in at number 10, the first time to feature in the Tracker league table since its inception in 2009.

Wain concluded: “Whatever the value of a car, an important barrier to stop thieves is using traditional physical security devices like steering wheel locks and wheel clamps.

“In addition, placing the key fob into a signal blocking pouch which is lined with layers of metallic material, will stop a key’s signal from being intercepted by would-be thieves.

“However, thieves are increasingly determined and employ sophisticated methods too.  In the event of a vehicle being stolen, an SVR solution will significantly increase the chances of it being quickly recovered and returned before it’s sold on, stripped for parts or shipped abroad.”

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Users of autonomous vehicles should be legally protected in event of a collision, a new report suggests.

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.

Nicholas Paines QC, public law commissioner, said: “We have an unprecedented opportunity to promote public acceptance of automated vehicles with our recommendations on safety assurance and clarify legal liability. We can also make sure accessibility, especially for older and disabled people, is prioritised from the outset.”

Modern vehicles are fitted with many driver assistance systems and the report anticipates that, in future, these features will develop to a point where an automated vehicle will be able to drive itself for at least part of a journey, without a human paying attention to the road. For example, a car may be able to drive itself on a motorway, or a shuttle bus may be able to navigate a particular route.

The report follows a consultation into the legal ramifications of autonomous driving technology.

The Law Commissions recommend a new system of legal accountability once a vehicle is authorised by a regulatory agency as having self-driving features, and a self-driving feature is engaged.

The person in the driving seat would no longer be a driver but a “user-in-charge”. A user-in-charge cannot be prosecuted for offences which arise directly from the driving task. They would have immunity from a wide range of offences – from dangerous driving to exceeding the speed limit or running a red light.

However, the user-in-charge would retain other driver duties, such as carrying insurance, checking loads or ensuring that children wear seat belts.

If the vehicle drives in a way which would be criminal or unsafe if performed by a human driver, an in-use regulator would work with the carmaker to ensure that the matter does not recur. Regulatory sanctions would also be available to the regulator.

In the case of autonomous taxis or minibuses, where there is no driver, any occupants of the vehicle would simply be passengers. Instead of having a ‘user-in-charge’, a licensed operator would be responsible for overseeing the journey.

Matthew Avery, chief research strategy officer at Thatcham Research, an organisation which was part of the consultation for the Law Commissions’ report, said: “The transition to safe introduction of automation with self-driving capabilities is fraught with risk as we enter the early stages of adoption.

Today’s report is a significant step, as it provides important legal recommendations and clarity for the safe deployment of vehicles with self-driving features onto the UK’s roads.

“In the next 12 months, we’re likely to see the first iterations of self-driving features on cars on UK roads.  It’s significant that the Law Commission report highlights driver’s legal obligations and they understand that their vehicle is not yet fully self-driving.  It has self-driving features that, in the near future, will be limited to motorway use at low speeds.

“The driver will need to be available to take back control at any time, won’t be permitted to sleep or use their mobile phones, the vehicle won’t be able to change lanes and if the driver does not take back control, when requested, it will stop in lane on the motorway.  It is critical that early adopters understand these limitations and their legal obligations.”

The report has been laid before Parliament and the Scottish Parliament. It will be for the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments to decide whether to accept the Commissions’ recommendations and introduce legislation to bring them into effect. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New figures show the growing disparity between the relative success of electric vehicle (EV) charging device grant schemes.

The Department for Transport (DfT) statistics show there are more 250,000 home charging devices, but just 2,038 devices installed through the on-street residential charging scheme.

As of January 1, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) funded grant schemes – the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) and its predecessor the Domestic Recharging Scheme (DRS) – had delivered 277,030 domestic charging devices since 2013, with 88,624 device installations funded since January 1, 2021, an increase of almost 60%.

Meanwhile, the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) had funded the installation of 22,977 sockets in workplace carparks at the start of the year since the scheme started in 2016.

It had funded 9,648 sockets installations since January 1, 2021, an increase of 72%.

However, as of January 1, the On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS) had funded just 2,038 public charging devices for local authorities in the UK.

The DfT says that 435 on-street charging devices were installed after being claimed for by the local authorities in the previous three months, while funding has also been awarded for 4,539 additional ORCS charging devices to be installed in the future.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “On-street residential charge points are key for the 40% of households without dedicated off-street parking and we need to see significant investment in this area.

“As a previous AA investigation showed, many councils don’t have plans to install on-street chargers and some that have been granted funds have used it to install in town centre car parks.”

The AA found that just one in six English councils had installed on-street charge points in residential areas in 2020.

Cousens continued: “There is also a danger that policy-makers think on-street charging is only an urban issue, but there are many rural communities that need on-street charging infrastructure.”

The AA is also urging the Treasury to cut VAT to 5% for on-street charging, mirroring domestic charging rates to avoid the creation of a two-tier system.

“We also believe that the scaling back of the home charging grant from 1 April sends the wrong message at a time when EV sales are booming.

“With the right incentives and support, the Chancellor could turbo-charge the electric revolution in his Spring Statement.”

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has been asking fleet owners and operators to provide information on the locations of their current and expected demand for kerbside charging facilities.

It is using the data to construct a national map showing street-by-street demand for electric vehicle (EV) kerbside charging. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Body-worn cameras have been issued to National Highways traffic officers patrolling motorways and some major A roads.

The national roll-out started in 2021 and was completed last month when the equipment was issued to colleagues in the Midlands.

It comes after National Highways recorded 214 incidents of intimidating behaviour, assault or abuse against traffic officers in just one year.

The incidents took place between January 2020 and 2021 despite the impact of the Covid lockdowns on traffic numbers.

National Highways customer service director, Mel Clarke, said: “The cameras have been provided to help protect our traffic officers and will be part of their uniform. Like a seat-belt, we hope the camera isn’t needed, but it will be there if necessary.

“Our traffic officers should not have to face abuse or even threats while simply doing their job – which is to help people and keep our roads moving.

“We want to reassure them, and warn anyone who thinks such abuse is acceptable, that we will do all we can to support our traffic officers and vigorously pursue justice for any criminal activities directed towards them.”

National Highways traffic officers are there to keep people safe and help the roads network run smoothly. But despite their primary role being to help, abuse is becoming an increasing problem as they carry out this vital work.

Incidents range from abuse being shouted from a vehicle, foul language, objects being thrown, targeted threats and even physical attacks.

Footage has been released by National Highways of two incidents faced by traffic officers which have already been captured on the new cameras.

Studies have shown that the presence of a camera can reduce the potential for confrontation and, should an incident occur, provide vital evidence needed for a police investigation and ultimately prosecution.

Traffic officer Chris Owen has already discovered how important the cameras can be after being called to the M61, between junctions 8 and 9, to a seemingly intoxicated pedestrian ‘walking home to Preston from Manchester’.

She became increasingly aggressive with the traffic officer and, when the police arrived, made allegations against him of inappropriate behaviour.

Owen, who has been a traffic officer for six years, said: “Fortunately, the camera could prove that was not the case.

“Although it was filmed at night the footage was clear. It is reassuring to have that back-up.

“Using the cameras can actually de-escalate some situations. Previously people would shout abuse or get angry knowing their actions would not come back on them. Now there is footage.”

Although infrequent, complaints against traffic officers have previously relied on all parties giving statements which can often lead to conflicting reports and therefore lengthy and time-consuming investigations. The cameras will provide an accurate account of events.

Traffic officers are wearing Motorola Solutions’ VB400 body-worn cameras which are used to support safety across many UK organisations including multiple police forces and NHS England’s ambulance trusts.

Costing some £500,000 to roll out across the team of traffic officers, the camera units are designed to withstand rigorous use and capture high-quality video and audio in all weather and light conditions.

Recorded video is uploaded to the cloud, providing footage which is admissible in court.  By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

Thatcham Research has revealed the safest new cars that launched in 2021, with EV and Hybrid models among the best performers.

A total of five cars were highlighted by the safety research organisation, including the Skoda Enyaq, Mercedes EQS and Polestar 2.

The Nissan Qashqai and Toyota Yaris Cross also made the list.

Matthew Avery, Chief Research Strategy Officer, Thatcham Research comments: “It’s fantastic to see carmakers continuing to prioritise safety, with all but four vehicles tested by Euro NCAP in 2021 achieving a four or five-star rating. Most are rising to the safety challenge and it’s encouraging to note EVs are performing very well as a group too.

“As well as the development of active safety technology to help avoid crashes and protect vulnerable road users, we also welcome the continued introduction of passive safety innovations such as centre-airbags, which prevent occupants from colliding into one another during side impacts.”

The panel of judges who selected 2021’s safest cars includes: Thatcham Research’s Matthew Avery; Claire Evans, What Car? consumer editor; Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general; and Loughborough University’s Pete Thomas, Emeritus Professor in Road and Vehicle Safety.

Judges favoured affordable vehicles that will bring the biggest safety benefits to the greatest number of drivers. Of particular importance were robust ‘active’ crash-avoidance systems, effective ‘passive’ occupant protection features, well-delivered driver interface technology, and a commitment to standard fitment across the range.

Selections will now form the shortlist for the 2022 What Car? Safety Award. The overall winner and two runners up will be revealed on January 20.

The Mercedes EQS scored some of the best Euro NCAP test results of the year, impressing judges with its improved Safety Assist technology and occupant protection, including a centre console-mounted airbag to contain occupants during side impacts.

The top-selling Qashqai is one of the best-ever performing cars in Euro NCAP tests, achieving more than 90% in three out of four safety categories. Applauded for its Reverse Automatic Braking, Lane Support and Emergency Lane Keeping functions, the Qashqai’s popularity and price point offset the current absence of all-electric or hybrid versions from its range, according to judges.

The Polestar 2 is the first model from the new electric-car brand to be tested against Euro NCAP protocols and has all the safety features expected from a Volvo-derived EV. The car was commended for its impressive passive safety performance, due to its excellent body structure and very effective restraint systems.

Skoda’s Enyaq scored well in frontal offset testing, with the car engineered to minimise damage to other vehicles in a collision, and its Adult Occupant Protection score of 94% was the second highest of all the cars tested. Skoda is planning improvements to the Enyaq’s Lane Assistance technology, which judges felt was a little ‘over-zealous’.

The Toyota Yaris Cross was commended for its encouraging overall performance in safety tests and its affordability. Judges felt the car’s popularity will help democratise safety technology, allowing many motorists to access and benefit from recent innovations.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News