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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

I warned of this situation even before we voted to exit the EU. Whenever the EU arranged a trade deal with a country outside the EU bloc in order for the goods (not just cars) to be considered European and therefore qualify for free tariffs the majority of the product, in this case the car, had to be manufactured within Europe.

Some reports suggested 51% others as high as 60% had to be manufactured within the EU. I raised the question at the time that whilst we would possibly end up with a deal with Europe resulting in duty free sales of cars both to and from the EU it still meant that we would be outside the EU.

So what did this mean? Whilst in  Europe we have movement of components backwards and forwards but as long as the majority of the cost of a car was sourced in Europe it met the conditions attached to free trade with other countries.

So let’s look at an example, not genuine but for illustration. The EU has a Free Trade deal with South Korea. Mercedes sell cars to South Korea duty free based on the cars being predominantly manufactured in Europe by value. So currently the Mercedes is made using UK parts, say dashboards, screens, interiors etc. all considered to be EU parts.

The UK content accounts for say 10% of the cost of the car contributing to say 55% made in the EU. The rest is sourced from say China, India, US etc. Once out of the EU the EU content drops to 45% as we no longer contribute to the EU portion which means that the car now falls outside the free trade rules and becomes subject to duty charges.

I was ignored at the time as I was told that this would all come out in the trade deal. It hasn’t and could easily lead to European manufacturers replacing UK parts with parts manufacture in the EU.

And it gets worse.

When we manufacture items in the UK we often source components from outside the EU but under the rules of origin we have been able to use parts from outside the UK but the finished item can still be sold as British. The technical term is Cumulation.

It seems that many of the components used in UK car manufacturing come in from Turkey and Japan. It seems that according to our chief negotiator David Frost the EU has thrown out the practice of cumulation insisting that 60% of the component cost of anything sold to the EU must be sourced in the UK to qualify for free trade.

Component parts from Turkey and Japan that have traditionally been regarded as part of ‘made in the UK’ under cumulation rules will in future fall outside the UK content. Which means that whilst we could have a free trade deal between us and the EU if vehicles don’t contain sufficient UK components to meet the rules, tariffs will have to be paid.

This will certainly be bad news for Jaguar Landrover, Ford, Nissan and Vauxhall all of which use a lot of parts from Turkey and Japan and sell many vehicles into Europe.

Frost has also confirmed that the EU has rejected the UK’s request for electric cars, batteries and bicycles to be treated leniently under the rules of origin if the majority of components come from elsewhere.

Sadly it seems that the originally agreed Theresa May withdrawal agreement had addressed and resolved this issue – according to the Guardian. 2 years ago the average British produced content of cars built in the UK was about 44% which means they will all fall foul of the country of origin rules.

As I understand it if we come out with a deal, components that are made in the EU that feed into British made items will pass the rules of origin test but components from outside the EU won’t in the future. We have some difficult times ahead. By Graham Hill

Every so often I receive directions to dealerships by solicitors to protect them from consumer claims. Anything to avoid carrying out a repair or paying back money. In this missive, they explain what a dealer should do when it comes to carrying out repairs as a gesture of goodwill.

Dealerships often have a policy on when they will allow goodwill repairs.  They may be offered because the warranty has recently run out, the problem is recurring due to possible driver error, or because the customer just likes to complain and it gets them off your back.

Most customers will accept goodwill gestures for what they are, a goodwill gesture and not a legal obligation. But there is always one customer who tries it on, pushing to get all they can out of you, taking advantage of your generosity.

There is a danger that you carry out a goodwill repair to something that didn’t exist at the point of sale or has been described as falling within the constraints of the Consumer Rights Act, giving the customer the impression the problem is the dealer’s responsibility and the problem existed when they bought the car.

By carrying out a repair, you are potentially taking ownership of the problem. The repair must resolve the problem brought to you in the first place or else you could be pursued to court on the basis that your repair caused the fault that is now being complained about. 

A goodwill repair can blow up in your face as it could infer an extension to the warranty or that there is a warranty on the parts that you fit.  This is made worse if you suspect that the problem has been caused by the customer driving or modifications carried out.

Your repairs could mask the true cause of the original problem and make it difficult to prove further down the line. 

If legal proceedings are issued by the customer, goodwill repairs can also make it more difficult in your defence to argue that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle when sold. Judges don’t generally need too much persuading to conclude that a vehicle was faulty at the point of sale.

This doesn’t mean that goodwill repairs should not be carried out. They are an important tool in generating loyal customers, especially as for many consumers it’s how a complaint is dealt with that can say far more about you than how the sale was dealt with.

However, it is important you document your decision by making it clear it is a goodwill repair – it is not under the warranty, there is no warranty for any new parts fitted as part of(s) provision, and it is in no way an admission the vehicle has any defects or issues. By Graham Hill

Thatcham Research and Euro NCAP have assessed the latest driver assistance systems to ensure users are fully aware of their capabilities.

Reports of accidents where drivers have misused these systems are becoming a regular topic for the media and these new gradings are designed to inform drivers of the performance, and most importantly, the limitations of Assisted Driving systems.

“The systems that are currently allowed on our roads are there to assist the driver – but do not replace them,” said Matthew Avery, Thatcham’s director of research. “Unfortunately, there are motorists that believe they can purchase a self-driving car today.

This is a dangerous misconception that sees too much control handed to vehicles that are not ready to cope with all situations.

“Clarity is therefore required to make sure drivers understand the capability and performance of current assisted systems. It’s crucial today’s technology is adopted safely before we take the next step on the road to automation. There are safety and insurance implications that must be considered seriously.”

Ten vehicles have been initially assessed, including the Tesla Model 3, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes GLE.

The testing looked at how effective the systems control the car, how the carmaker communicates the capability and functionality of the systems and how well the car protects the driver in an emergency.

Mercedes scored the highest number of points across the three categories, with its GLE model receiving a ‘very good’ rating. The BMW 3 Series and Audi Q8 also scored top marks.

The Ford Kuga’s results showed a ‘good’ grading is possible for a mid-class vehicle, thanks to its combination of Vehicle Assistance and Safety Back-up. The entry-level Renault Clio and Peugeot 2008 offer effective systems, but lack emergency assist capability which would have boosted their grading. 

The Tesla Model 3 was top scorer in the vehicle assistance and safety back-up assessments, but was the lowest scorer for driver engagement, resulting in a ‘moderate’ grading. 

“The first batch of results show some car makers have developed robust assisted driving systems and that’s good to see. But there are also significant gaps in capability on other vehicles,” Avery explained. 

 

“The Tesla Model 3 was the best for vehicle assistance and safety back-up. But lost ground for over selling what its ‘Autopilot’ system is capable of, while actively discouraging drivers from engaging when behind the wheel. 

“Tesla should however be recognised for its ability to update vehicles ‘Over the Air’. Two years ago, it’s safety back up results would not have been market leading. This unique capability has seen it move the safety game on, across its whole fleet of vehicles.”

Assisted Driving Systems test results: 

Position	Car	Vehicle Assistance	Driver Engagement	Safety Back-up	Rating
1	Mercedes GLE	86	85	89	174 / very good
2	BMW 3-Series	82	83	90	172 / very good
3	Audi Q8	83	78	84	162 / very good
4	Ford Kuga	66	73	86	152 / good
5	VW Passat	76	79	61	137 / moderate
6	Tesla Model 3	87	36	95	131 / moderate
7	Nissan Juke	52	70	72	124 / moderate
8	Volvo V60	71	78	49	120 / moderate
9	Renault Clio	62	69	43	105 / entry
10	Peugeot 2008	61	74	40	101 / entry

Martin Milliner, claims director at Liverpool Victoria General Insurance, said: “Assisted driving systems are not all the same and whilst they are becoming commonplace in new vehicles, they are still at an embryonic stage in terms of driver awareness and understanding.

The new independent grading system from Thatcham and Euro NCAP will bust the myths around driverless cars and give UK drivers a lens through which to make informed car buying choices; hopefully leading to fewer accidents and deaths on our roads.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Ofgem is considering introducing new rules, which would allow power companies to switch of electric vehicle (EV) home-chargers during times of high demand.

The measure, which official papers suggest would be implemented as a “last resort”, was discussed at a working group meeting hosted by the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA), last month (August 24).

It was attended by Ofgem and representatives from the major energy providers, including EDF Energy, SSE, British Gas and Northern Power Grid.

The Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA) was established in October 2006 as a multi-party contract between the licensed electricity distributors, suppliers and generators of Great Britain.

A DCUSA report, quoted by Auto Express, argues that, because the electricity network was not designed to accommodate the “significant additional demand” expected from the likes of EV chargers, allowing distributors the “control of consumer devices (such as electric vehicles) connected to smart meter infrastructure” should be allowed, though only as a “last resort, emergency measure”.

A consultation is likely to be released next month (October) to seek industry views and a decision is expected next year.

By 2050, up to 45% of households will actively provide vehicle to grid (V2G) services, according to National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO)’s Future Energy Scenarios.

The rapid growth in the numbers of EVs will mean more demand on local electricity networks if EVs are all plugged in at the same time, such as during the peak between 5pm and 7pm in the evening.

Smart charging, or ‘V1G’, which allows management of the time when EV charging occurs – as trialled by the original Electric Nation project – will help to avoid this situation.

However, V2G charging will be more effective than smart charging. This is due to the ability to link EVs together and put significant levels of energy back into the grid at peak times, like a huge decentralised power station.

V2G therefore aims to help reduce the grid’s need for additional energy generation, typically supplied by fossil fuels at peak times, as well as reducing demand on electricity networks, and allowing EV drivers to use greener and cheaper electricity. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric and hybrid cars continued to grow in popularity across Europe in August, representing more than one in five cars sold in the continent.

It’s a new record, according to data analysis firm Jato, and represents a growth of 121% year-on-year.

Hybrids accounted for 49% of electrified vehicle registrations in August, with their volume increasing by 86% thanks to the mild-hybrid technology available in some Ford, Suzuki and Fiat models.

Pure electric cars followed this success, with 48,800 units, an increase of 111%.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) found 44,700 new customers, with registrations up by 283%. This huge increase amounted from the success of premium brands, accounting for 55% of their volume, and the new Ford Kuga.

The Coronavirus pandemic continued to rock the industry in August, however, with the overall number of new cars registered across Europe some 18% behind August 2019.

In total, 881,897 new cars were registered in August 2020, leaving the sector 33% down year-to-date.

Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics, said: “We continue to say that it is still too early to talk about recovery and the results last month indicate that there are still big issues that need to be addressed in the industry.

Fortunately, the larger drop seen in August was mostly caused by business/fleet registrations, as private registrations only fell by 4%. This is a good indicator that the situation is not as dire as it might seem.”

SUVs accounted for 41% of all registrations in August, with the Peugeot 2008 the best-seller.

Overall, the VW Golf was the most popular car in Europe, amassing more than 22,000 registrations. The Audi A6 topped the executive car segment, while Renault’s Clio was the best-selling supermini.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

By Steve Nash, CEO of the Institue of the Motor Industry (IMI)

There is much speculation that the government is planning to move forward the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030, with hybrids given a reprieve to 2035.

I admire the confidence of those feeding this speculation – apparently there are assurances that the infrastructure will be ready by this date.

But there is so much more to consider than simply the charging infrastructure.

Indeed, in some ways the charging network issue is relatively simple to resolve… It just needs investment, and rather a lot of it!

However, we won’t get the network we need if the government leaves it largely to private businesses to solve the problem, as it has done up to now.

The investments made by our government are paltry compared to other countries.

But I worry that a much bigger piece of the jigsaw has been forgotten.

What about the technicians to service and repair this new automotive technology which, in turn, will give motorists the essential confidence they need?

The automotive sector has seen – much like many other industries – massive falls in sales over the last 6 months as a result of Covid-19.

Right now, therefore, the appetite for recruitment and training is low as recent data attests.

Yet training of the existing workforce on these new drivetrains, as well as recruitment of the next generation of workers is vital.

The latest Department for Education (DoE) data shows that apprenticeship starts in the Automotive sector in July 2020 fell by 59% compared to the same period in 2019.

And the latest ONS data shows that approximately 2% of jobs in the sector have been made permanently redundant with potentially an additional 7,200 planned before the end of September.

Further underlying the financial pressures facing the automotive sector, over half (56%) stated that Covid-19 had increased the risk of insolvency of their business; an increase of 3% since last reporting.

Against this backdrop, and with so much of the country waiting to hear if new restrictions may impact business income further, does it really make sense to heap the pressure on an already beleaguered sector?

As we advance towards a zero-emission future, the technology that technicians will be coming into contact with is changing – resulting in high voltage electrics becoming commonplace.

Motorists driving electrified vehicles want to know that they are handing over their vehicle to someone who has the right skills.

Those who aren’t properly trained or equipped to work on electrified vehicles would be risking serious injury or potentially fatal shock.

The IMI TechSafe standards, endorsed by OLEV at the end of 2019, mean that electrified vehicle users can access the IMI Professional Register to check the electric vehicle technical competencies of technicians at their local garage.

This is a crucial step in giving car buyers confidence that their electric vehicle can be serviced, maintained and repaired by a garage with the right skills – and that removes a key barrier to EV adoption.

But it’s also important that government looks at investment in skills training to support a sector that is currently severely depleted by Covid-19, to ensure its zero emissions goals can be achieved. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in England and Wales were six times higher in 2019 than the previous year.

Official figures show that last year, almost 13,000 devices were reported stolen, with London particularly badly hit. There were just 2,000-plus thefts in 2018.

Criminals sell the parts as desirable spares or simply for the value of the precious metals they contain – rhodium, palladium and platinum.

Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, car crime lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said police were committed to tackling the thefts and the organised gangs behind them.

“Police forces across the country are involved in planning and undertaking intelligence-led operations, at both the regional and national level, to stop converters from being stolen, as we recognise the devastating impact these crimes can have upon the lives of victims,” she told the BBC.

Stolen vehicle recovery expert Tracker suggests that hybrid vehicles are at a particular risk. Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, explained:

“Plug-in and self-charging hybrid vehicles are a highly desirable target for thieves as their catalytic converters are less corroded than those in petrol and diesel vehicles which rely on them more.”

Wain says that there are simple actions that drivers can take to protect their vehicle, including physical barriers to make thieves think twice before targeting their car.

“Installing an alarm that activates if the vehicle is lifted or tilted are particularly effective and owners should consider investing in a catalytic converter protection device or marking system,” he said.

“Fitting a stolen vehicle recovery device, such as those on offer from Tracker will ensure that if a car is stolen, it will be located and recovered quickly before the essential parts are removed for re-sale.”

Tracker’s top tips for safeguarding your vehicle:

• Park your car in a safe spot – a secure garage is the best option, but a well-lit and overlooked parking spot is also a great – it doesn’t take long to steal a catalytic converter, but it’s certainly not a quiet job so the more visible the car, the better the deterrent.
• Install cameras – Thieves don’t want to be caught on camera. Installing CCTV to keep an eye on your car or parking in areas covered by public CCTV is good protection.
• Install a vehicle tracker system – If a car is stolen, the police are far more likely to be able to find and return it safely if it has a device fitted.

Police forces across the country have also issued the following advice and information to help drivers protect their vehicles:

• Consider installing a Thatcham approved alarm to your vehicle. Ones that activate if your vehicle is lifted or tilted are particularly effective.
• Use a catalytic converter protection device or marking system.Catalytic converters control and convert exhaust emissions from your vehicle into less toxic substances. If yours is stolen, you will know because your vehicle’s engine will sound different. If you suspect your catalytic converter has been stolen, report it immediately by calling 101.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The school-run appears to be behind a peak in morning traffic, according to black box data from the RAC.

New Government statistics, published last week, suggested that the traditional morning and evening rush hours had disappeared.

The latest figures for June from the Department for Transport (DfT) showed that in the morning peak there was a 21.4 second delay per vehicle mile travelled on local A roads, compared to 56.7 seconds in February.

It was the same for the evening peak, which reported a 25.8 second delay per vehicle mile travelled, less than half of the 63.6 seconds reported before the pandemic in February.   

However, analysis of hundreds of thousands of trips taken by RAC Insurance customers has revealed that the beginning of the school year in England has led to a marked rise in cars on the road, particularly at what appears to be the peak drop-off time of between 8am and 9am.

Looking at average weekday traffic between Monday, September 7, and Wednesday, September 16, between these hours there were the same number of cars being driven as on a weekday in January.

Car volumes during these times were also up 55% compared to the period before most schools had returned (week beginning August 24).

The figures appear to show that the UK’s morning rush hour is caused more by people dropping children off at schools and nurseries than it is by commuters heading to places of work, given that many people are still working from home.

The fact that many schools are operating staggered drop-off times in light of the coronavirus may also be having the effect of extending the rush hour as well as changing the morning routine for some families.

At the other end of the day, car volumes are now at around the same level between the end of school ‘rush’ of 3pm and 4pm and evening ‘rush’ of between and 5pm and 6pm as was the case before the first coronavirus lockdown in March, suggests the RAC data.

RAC Insurance spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “What’s abundantly apparent is how dependent parents are on the car for getting children to their places of study or play during the week – and with fewer people prepared to take public transport at the moment, the reliance on the car as the transport mode of choice has increased.

“Workers that used to drop children off and then carry on to offices or other workplaces are clearly still using their cars for these trips, but just returning home again instead.

“It may also be the case that many are opting for the car so they can be back at their desks to start work as promptly as possible.

“The staggered ‘drop-off windows’ introduced by many schools as a result of the pandemic to cope with large movements of children may be another reason for the rise.”

Daily RAC breakdown figures also show a ‘return to normal’, with mid-week call-outs in particular only a little below those seen during the first few winter months of the year.

But interestingly, since the schools returned patrols have on average been called out to more rush-hour breakdowns than expected with this being balanced out by fewer later in the day.

Dennis continued: “The million-dollar question, of course, is what happens next and whether morning road traffic continues to rise in the autumn, or whether it stays at the sort of level we’re seeing now.

“The rising number of coronavirus cases, together with the introduction of local lockdowns and the threat of new nationwide restrictions, may also have an impact on people’s willingness to return to public transport.

“But while there is a huge number of possible scenarios that have the potential to change our travel habits, what does appear clear is that millions of us will continue to rely on the car for completing the journeys we have to make.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Business travel hit a post-lockdown peak in August with every sector of the UK economy enjoying its highest weekly increase at some point, according to new data from Allstar Business Solutions.

The analysis of its customer data found average fuel consumption peaked in the week beginning August 17 at 125% above the lockdown baseline.

However, fuel consumption for August overall dropped 4.4% compared to July, which Allstar attributes to the August bank holiday, although last year the fall was more significant at 9% for the same month.

Allstar’s latest Business Barometer Monthly Snapshot, which is tracking business mileage and credit card data as an economic indicator of recovery by sector, found the long-term trajectory also remains upwards, with businesses travelling 1.06 billion more miles in August than June.

Paul Holland, managing director of UK Fuel at Fleetcor, Allstar’s parent company, said: “Although at first glance seeing a drop in business fuel consumption in August may suggest a slowdown, this followed a sharp rise in June and July.

“The decrease in business travel can also be attributed to August traditionally being a quiet month thanks to the bank holiday weekend, as well as increased domestic and foreign holidays as some coronavirus regulations were eased.

“Early indicators seem to suggest a stronger start to September as children return to school.

“It’s encouraging to see all sectors witnessing their highest weekly growth spikes during the last month; highlighting a continued hunger for businesses to get back on the road as the recovery continues.

“While the number of people on holiday clearly had a downward impact towards the end of the month, it doesn’t appear this will have a long-lasting effect.”

The week commencing August 17 was, on average, the most active for businesses on the road since the start of lockdown.

Arts, entertainment and recreation witnessed a 407% increase in mileage – just days after government lockdown restrictions were eased for some leisure businesses.

Manufacturing (161%), construction (141%) and financial services (106%) also saw their most significant post-lockdown growth during that week.

In comparison, hospitality and catering saw its largest weekly growth (211%) during the week commencing August 24, potentially due to people becoming increasingly comfortable with returning to restaurants towards the end of the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme.

The same is true of wholesale and retail businesses (161%), while education saw its largest spike in business travel (258%) during the week commencing August 31, likely due to preparations for students returning to the classroom. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News