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Black remains the most popular car colour on Britain’s roads, with 6.5 million vehicles, but white is the most popular choice for new cars registered.

Looking at data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for every car registered as of March 2020, the number of white cars rose by 269,314 compared to a year earlier, giving an overall total of just under 5m (4,954,510).

The growth in black cars was much lower, with 11,806 units added in 2020. In March 2019, the figure was 112,035 and in 2018 it was 132,641.

Black’s nearest rival is silver, which has 5.7m (18% share of all cars). There were 363,485 fewer silver cars on the roads in 2020 than there were at the same point in 2019, and more than 1m fewer than in 2016 (1,084,780).

Blue occupies third spot with 5,593,298 – down 87,865 on 2019 but still accounting for 17% of all cars on the roads, with grey in fourth on just under 5m (15.2% share of all cars) – down 236,027 since March 2019, and white in fifth place.

The DVLA data, collated by RAC Insurance, also shows that red is the next most popular colour, with 3.5m, while it is followed by green, which only accounts for 667,000 cars, representing 2% of the whole car parc. Orange (8th), beige/buff (9th) and brown (10th) complete the top 10 colours, each only making up under 1% of all cars.

Pink is the least popular car colour with 22,728 but that has increased very steadily since 2017 when there 19,959 – only multicoloured cars are less popular with just 6,724 down from 7,455 in 2017.

RAC Insurance spokesman Simon Williams said: “While black continues to top the car colours popularity chart, the appeal of white is still very much on the up.

“In fact, today there are 1.5m more white cars on the roads than there were in 2016. It remains to be seen whether white will make its way into the top five car colours, however. If it does, it will have to depose grey, blue or silver.”

He continued: “It’s always very interesting trying to work out at what point a colour goes out of fashion. Clearly, this is what happened with silver which was the number-one choice in 2017 but fell back into second a year later and has remained there ever since.

“While taste in car colours is very individual and subject to what manufacturers offer, there must come a point where drivers feel a particular colour has become too common and think they should opt for something else, after all it wouldn’t be much fun if we all drove the same colour cars.”

Rank	Colour	Mar-20	Share
1	Black	6,578,946	20.1%
2	Silver/Aluminium	5,756,535	17.6%
3	Blue	5,593,298	17.1%
4	Grey	4,954,510	15.2%
5	White	4,395,922	13.5%
6	Red	3,486,735	10.7%
7	Green	667,000	2.0%
8	Orange	215,535	0.7%
9	Beige/Buff	208,349	0.6%
10	Brown	196,089	0.6%
11	Yellow	166,799	0.5%
12	Purple/Mauve/Violet	112,037	0.3%
13	Gold	105,065	0.3%
14	Bronze	90,901	0.3%
15	Turquoise	35,283	0.1%
16	Maroon	29,964	0.1%
17	Cream/Ivory	29,875	0.1%
18	Pink	22,728	0.1%
19	Multicoloured	6,724	0.0%
		32,652,295

Hmm, 30,000 cream/ivory – really? By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The theme for UK Road Safety Week 2020 has been announced as ‘No need to speed’, following findings that a quarter of people think vehicles travel at a safe speed on the street they live on.

Coordinated by Brake, the road safety charity, Road Safety Week 2020 will take place between November 16-22 and will encourage everyone to learn the what, why and the where of speed and will highlight that the speed of traffic matters to people’s safety.

‘No need to speed’ was chosen as the theme for Road Safety Week 2020 following the findings of the ‘How safe are the streets where you live?’ survey, conducted online by Brake over the past year.

The survey of over 1,700 members of the UK public, found that only a quarter believe that vehicles travel at a safe speed on the street where they live.

Brake also found that six in ten people feel that the speed of traffic on their street negatively affects their wellbeing and two-thirds identify motorised traffic as the biggest threat to their health and safety on their street.

The week-long Road Safety Week campaign is supported by funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) and headline sponsors DHL and Specsavers and will use the collective voice of members of the public, schools, communities, organisations and the emergency services to demonstrate that there is ‘no need to speed’ on the road.

To participate in Road Safety Week, people are invited to register for a free action pack.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at Brake, said: “Road Safety Week provides a unique opportunity, every year, to focus attention on how the safety of our roads impacts all our daily lives.

“Speed plays a part in every crash and just 1mph can mean the difference between life and death on the roads. This Road Safety Week we want to help everyone understand why speed matters and to join together to say there is ‘no need to speed’ on our roads.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Ford has temporarily suspended sales of its new Kuga plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV and issued a recall after four have caught fire due to over-heating batteries.

The brand has issued a safety recall for all affected models, and said repairs will commence later this month once the required parts are available.

A report by Autocar this morning stated that existing owners of the Kuga PHEV model have been told not to charge their cars “until further notice”.

Ford admits that this overheating can occur “when the vehicle is parked and unattended or is charged”.

The magazine also said that Kuga PHEV owners have been asked to keep the car in its “EV Auto” drive mode – steering clear of zero emissions ‘EV Mode’ – until further notice.

Concerns surround vehicles built before June 26, according to Ford, which told Autocar that “information from the field indicates that four vehicle fires are likely to have been caused by the overheating of the high-voltage batteries”.

It is estimated that 27,000 models worldwide are affected.

While petrol and diesel versions of the new Kuga remain available, the PHEV version has already proved popular with buyers and fleet customers, becoming the most popular model.

Prices start at £33,095 – the same as the two-litre turbodiesel equivalent – and the front-wheel-drive model combines a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric drivetrain to deliver a combined 225PS.

Ford claims fuel economy of 201mpg alongside CO2 emissions of 32g/km. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government is being warned a ‘no deal’ Brexit could impact vehicle costs and prove fatal to the wider UK automotive sector.

A recent Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) survey showed one-in-three automotive employees was still on furlough at the end of July, with up to one-in-six jobs at risk.

The impact of the coronavirus crisis is being felt across the sector, but jobs could also be threatened by the prospect of a ‘bare bones’ or no-deal Brexit, says the UK automotive trade body.

If the EU and UK do not agree a deal by the end of the year, the UK will leave the EU’s single market and the customs union without any agreement on future access from January 1, 2021.

The SMMT wants a full, zero-tariff deal in place by the end of the transition period to give businesses on both sides the chance to prepare.

Chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Before Covid-19, we expected to produce 1.3 million vehicles this year; the pandemic means we’re already looking at scarcely 900,000.

“A ‘no deal’ Brexit would wreak further long-term damage on the sector. Tariffs would add cost, custom duties and complexity, which would disrupt supply.”

The SMMT suggests a ‘no deal’ scenario could see UK vehicle volumes falling below 850,000 by 2025 – the lowest level since 1953. This would mean a £40 billion cut in revenues, on top of the £33.5bn cost of Covid-19 production losses over the period for UK automotive.

“The industry cannot withstand the shock of a hard Brexit,” explained Hawes.

“Covid-19 has consumed every inch of capability and capacity. There is not the resource, the time nor the clarity to prepare.”

Almost all countries in the world are part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which regulates international trade. Should the UK leave the EU without a deal, its trade with the EU will be governed by WTO rules.

When joining the WTO, each country negotiates the maximum tariffs it can set on various types of goods. The tariff charged by the EU on imported cars is 10%.

Leaving without a deal would mean UK-built cars facing a 10% tariff cost and vice versa, says the SMMT’s annual UK Automotive Trade Report.

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

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

Executive director, business transformation at Ford of Britain, Graham Hoare, said the manufacturer had implemented measures to ensure product is available for fleets.

He explained: “We’ve brought a lot of cars into the UK and have maintained that availability. That’s really important so we don’t have disruption to our supply chains as the change happens.”

But he warned: “A Free Trade Agreement is necessary for the viability of our business. If you think about all the other changes we’re embarking upon… another burden just makes the activities we’re performing in the UK a little less viable.”

JUST-IN TIME

Frictionless trade within the EU has been critical for enabling the UK car industry to develop supply chains that cross EU borders several times.

A separate report, produced by The UK in a Changing Europe on Manufacturing and Brexit, highlights how supply chains have to operate with supreme efficiency, and parts have to be delivered ‘just-in-time’ throughout the day.

As an example, 350 trucks arrive from the EU every day at Honda’s plant in Swindon, bringing in about two million parts. Components arrive from five-24 hours after ordering. The plant is scheduled to close a year from now.

Meanwhile, a typical driveline system produced by GKN, the British-based supplier, incorporates specialist forged parts from the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

These are assembled at GKN Driveline’s factory in Birmingham and supplied to automotive assemblers in the UK and EU.

The components, assembled drivelines and the final assembled car could cross the English Channel several times, says the report.

It is a similar story for BMW, which assembles engines at its Hams Hall engine-assembly plant near Birmingham.

Engine blocks come from France and are processed at the plant. They may go to Germany for further work before being assembled.

The engine may go into a Mini assembled in Oxford or the Netherlands, or into a BMW assembled in Germany.

“The final car could be sold anywhere in Europe or globally,” the report says. “This close integration and the need for minimal trade friction becomes even more important as most UK car producers operate on very low profit margins (around £450 on a £15,000 car).”

BREXIT TALKS

After a meeting between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen last month, both agreed new momentum was needed in negotiations.

Official talks resumed at the start of this month, but ended with the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, saying that “regardless of the outcome” there would be “inevitable changes” from January 1, 2021. The next round of negotiations began last week, with no apparent progress made.

The commission has also told member states and businesses to revisit plans for a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

In a press briefing, prior to the SMMT’s annual International Automotive Summit, Hawes insisted: “We must secure a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement that maintains tariff- and quota-free trade. With such a deal, a strong recovery is possible.”

The UK in a Changing Europe report says the potential danger is that carmakers may simply decide that production in the UK is no longer profitable and shift their assembly plants to the EU.

Many manufacturers with plants in the UK also have plants in the EU to which they could move production. Moreover, many of these plants have spare capacity.

“Such relocations usually happen when new vehicle models are introduced, and the decisions about sites are normally taken at least two years in advance of planned production starts,” it says.

‘MULTIPLE CHALLENGES’

Key companies in the UK automotive sector, that account for the bulk of UK automotive production – Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and Groupe PSA (Vauxhall’s owner) – have all planned new models in the next couple of years.

“There is a real danger they will decide to produce them in the EU, not the UK,” says the report. “This would have a knock-on effect on other industries in the UK.”

UK steel, for example, despite not being subject to tariffs itself, would suffer because the car industry would contract, reducing demand for steel.

“Manufacturing matters,” said Professor David Bailey, senior fellow of UK in a Changing Europe.

“Much of the sector has already taken a hit through the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit risks further disruption for manufacturers which they are keen to minimise.

“A no-trade deal is seen as the worst-case scenario for sectors like automotive given the impact of tariffs. But even a minimal Free Trade Agreement could bring disruption for manufacturers, for example via its impact on supply chains and in terms of regulatory divergence. Whatever the form of Brexit at the end of the transition period, manufacturing faces multiple challenges.” By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

We are now into the blackberry season and it would seem that birds love blackberries if my white car is anything to go by! And in these days of water-based car paint, cars are even more vulnerable to this acidic poo than ever before.

At best it makes the car look unsightly at worst, even if you have removed the droppings, the car can remain stained to the point where a lease car could be assessed to be seriously damaged when returned at the end of contract with the leasing company charging for a respray of affected panels. In one case that I reviewed the car needed a complete respray so make sure that you read this advice AND ACT IMMEDIATELY.

Here is the advice from Car Buyer:

We’ve all spent ages cleaning our car to a lovely mirror finish only to have our hard work ruined by the unsightly splatter of bird droppings. As well as being unpleasant and annoying, bird mess can actually damage paintwork, with potential repair bills in the hundreds or even thousands of pounds in the worst cases.

Time is of the essence, because the longer droppings sit on the paintwork, the more chance they have of causing costly problems. But why does bird mess damage paintwork? And what’s the best way to remove it safely?

How can bird droppings damage a car?

When bird droppings are removed from paintwork, they can leave a dull, cloudy mark, and even a visible ripple in the paint’s surface in the worst-case scenario. It’s also possible to make matters worse by scratching the paintwork in the removal process, either by being too aggressive or using the wrong tool.

For many years, the acidity of bird droppings has been blamed for the ‘etching’ effect they can have on paintwork. Recent research carried out by car detailing specialist Autoglym, however, has come up with another reason.

• Carbuyer’s best car cleaning tips and products

In its testing, it was found that as the top layer of paint lacquer warms during the day, it softens and expands, while bird droppings instead dry and become hard. Later on, when the lacquer cools and contracts, it can mould to the texture of the hardened bird mess, leaving a troublesome impression on the surface.

While the effect might be fairly slight, only a small imperfection is needed to create a visible dull patch that stands out against the shiny paint next to it.

How to remove bird mess safely

As we’ve mentioned, speed of removal is the most important factor in preventing damage, and according to Autoglym’s theory, this is especially important on sunny or hot days when the lacquer is at its softest. If you drive your car every day, you’ll have a good chance of spotting any offending droppings quickly and taking swift action.

If you use your car less regularly but it’s still parked outside, it’s worth having a quick look over it on a daily basis. For vehicles left outdoors for longer periods, a car cover is the most sensible and surefire solution. It can also be worth trying to avoid parking under trees, street lights and the eaves of buildings if your car seems to attract bird mess.

The key to easy and safe removal is to use water to ensure the droppings are soft. This is most easily achieved by placing a damp cloth or car cleaning wipe over the offending area and leaving it in place for a few minutes. Once you’ve done this, you should find it comes away from the surface easily.

Always avoid pressing hard, or using a rubbing or scraping motion to dislodge the droppings; if not all of it is removed first time, simply place another damp cloth or cleaning wipe over the spot again and repeat this process until everything has gone.

It’s advisable to wear disposable gloves when tackling this job and, of course, to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

What if my car is already damaged?

If the paintwork already has dull spots from bird mess, you can usually deal with them yourself with a little time and attention. More extreme cases may require the help of a car detailing company or paint restoration expert.

If you want to try to correct the paint at home, the first step is to wash the car to ensure it’s clean. Once it’s dry, apply a lightly abrasive car polish to the affected area, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This should gently remove the damaged top layer of paintwork, exposing the fresh paint below for a better finish.

Once it’s polished, ensure you cover the panel with a wax or sealant to protect it from the elements. If the condition of the paint is very poor, an expert will be able to assess the damage and use the correct products along with tools such as orbital polishers to get a satisfactory result.

WD40

I also came across this bit of advice but take care and follow instructions as you don’t want to make matters worse. According to WD-40, its magic-in-a-can spray has 259 automotive uses – and cleaning off dry bird poop from car paint is one of them. To remove bird droppings from your vehicle, spritz a little WD-40 on the area, let it sit for 60 seconds, then rinse or wipe away with a clean, soft cloth.

Final Warning & Advice

You should check your car’s paint warranty and make sure that you don’t do anything that could invalidate the warranty. And if you find that your car is badly damaged and could need a complete respray check to see if you are covered by your insurance especially if you have no claims discount protection. By Graham Hill thanks to Car Buyer

Before providing the latest report I must first warn those who are thinking of joining one of the many class actions against Daimler (Mercedes Benz) over their emissions cheat systems. Read the terms of the class action and make sure that you are not committing to any of the costs should the action fail. I’ll be keeping an eye on things for you as I had 3 Mercedes during the period in question!

Legal claims against Mercedes-Benz for emissions ‘cheating’ in England and Wales have been strengthened following a £1.6 billion settlement in the USA.

London law firm Fox Williams is pursuing claims for Mercedes owners in England and Wales in collaboration with US law firm Hagens Berman, which achieved a payout of more than £560 million for US Mercedes owners.

Mercedes, however, claims the cars sold in America are different to those in the UK.

It is estimated by Fox Williams that up to 1.2 million potential claimants owning (or having owned) impacted vehicles in England and Wales are affected. This includes private owners and businesses, such as fleet operators and hire car companies.

According to Hagens Berman’s investigations, Mercedes used defeat device, similar to the one used by Volkswagen, on its BlueTEC diesel vehicles.

Affected models are alleged to include the A-Class, B-Class, C-Class, Citan, CLA, CLS, E-Class, GL-Class, GLA-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, GLS, M-Class, S-Class, SLK, Sprinter, V-Class, and Vito, built between 2008 and 2018.

Andrew Hill, the Fox Williams partner who is leading the action, said: “Like many members of the general public, I have been shocked at the allegations of deception and fraud made against some of the world’s largest and most prestigious automotive manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz.  We believe business and private owners in England and Wales will very likely have good claims for the damage caused to them from unwittingly owning or leasing dirty diesels.”

Three other law firms, PGMBM, Leigh Day and Slater and Gordon, are also investigating potential group claims against Mercedes-Benz over emissions.

A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Cars UK said: “With regard to the US settlement, the vehicles in question were produced exclusively for the North American market.  The emissions control system of US vehicles differs in comparison to vehicles in Europe both with respect to hardware components and configuration of the control software.  In addition the legal framework and the certification process in the US is different to that in Europe.

“We believe the claims brought forward by the UK law firms are without merit, and will vigorously defend against any group action.”

Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, was fined more than £700m by German prosecutors in 2019 over the diesel emissions scandal.

It has filed objections against the German Federal Motor Transport Authority’s (KBA) recall orders regarding diesel exhaust emissions and these objection proceedings are ongoing.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Fleet News has prepared the following report for companies and employees who use their own cars for company business including the obligations on both parties. If you use your own car for business you should read this report.

With the UK government currently discouraging people from using public transport, we’re set to see an increase in the number of cars on British roads.

As employees return to work it’s likely that they’ll choose to jump in their cars instead of on buses and trains.

However, organisations aren’t only responsible for the safety of their staff in the workplace, they also have a duty of care to their employees when driving at work, regardless of whether it’s using a company car, a hire car or their own car.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is very clear and requires employers to take appropriate steps to safeguard staff and members of the public.

Whilst some organisations are unsure of the guidelines when employees use their own vehicles to perform any job-related tasks – known as grey fleet drivers.

Businesses have the same duty of care to ensure all vehicles used for business purposes are safe and legal to be on the road.

Whether it’s travelling to a meeting or nipping to the bank, the legislation applies across the board.

This means that every employee needs a valid driving licence and that every vehicle needs to be properly taxed, with a valid MOT (if over three years old) and serviced regularly.

Additionally, businesses must also check the employee’s insurance to make sure it includes business use cover.

At the very minimum employees should have Class 1 business insurance that covers their journeys during working hours.

The Health and Safety Executive indicates that more than a quarter of all road traffic incidents may involve somebody who is driving as part of their work, so businesses need to take a proactive approach.

The cost of unsafe driving

Work-related driving that becomes unsafe or illegal can result in substantial legal, reputational and financial repercussions for businesses if driver and vehicle documents have not been checked and recorded.

If a driver, who fails to meet the minimum requirements is involved in an accident while working then the consequences are considerable.

In the event of an incident, an organisations practises come under scrutiny and any investigation which finds a poor or non-existent process of checking drivers is likely to expose a failure in duty of care.

This could result in sizeable fines as well as claims for compensation made by those who suffer injury or damage as a result of employer negligence.

It’s important to keep in mind that fines for conviction under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007 are based on the size and turnover of the business.

Fines start at £300,000 and there is no maximum limit. In the worst cases, under the Corporate Manslaughter Act, employers, including senior managers and directors could find themselves facing prosecution and even prison sentences.

Regular licence checking should be part of a business’s overall risk assessment.

It’s important that a complete view of an employee’s driving history is carried out periodically through their employment and businesses are encouraged to keep the most up-to-date information available on all their drivers.

Failing to do so, means that businesses have no way of knowing whether employees have previously committed an offence since the last check.

Driving down risk 

It can be cumbersome and time consuming for employers to gather information about their employees’ personal vehicles.

But with a duty of care towards staff and financial penalties on the line, no employer wants to be in the dark about whether or not their grey fleet drivers have valid MOT, tax and insurance.

Having visibility over a vehicle’s road-worthiness and last service enables finance and HR departments to ensure that workplace journeys are carried out safely and legally.

If the driver and vehicle validation process can be combined with business expenses and claiming business mileage then all the better.

As part of our digital expense management solution from Selenity, we use their enhanced duty of care service.

This allows us to carry out automatic checks of driver and vehicle data using data sourced from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency.

Currently, there isn’t a way for businesses themselves to automatically check insurance documents using the Motor Insurance Database (MID) managed by the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) – only police and insurance providers have access.

However, with the outsourced insurance validation service from Selenity, we ensure that all our employee’s claiming mileage upload their insurance documents so that they can be checked within our expenses system.

Not only does this remove the time-consuming process of checking individual drivers documents but as the checks are electronically carried out, we don’t need to store large amounts of physical documentation.

Businesses often fail to establish whether employees have the correct level of insurance cover.

But using digital expense management software with driver compliance functionality built in, means that unless employees have been checked and validated they won’t be able to claim business mileage expenses.

Finance departments who withhold the reimbursement of travel expenses to staff who aren’t correctly covered minimise their risk.

If an accident were to occur then it would be more likely the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would see a strong case that duty of care has been carried out properly.

Putting the brakes on uncompliant drivers

The effective management of work-related road safety not only helps to reduce risk but also clearly demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding employees. 

By regularly checking the licences of employees, it’s possible to determine whether drivers remain appropriate to make work-related journeys.

In the long run this reduces the chance of facing financial penalties and the risk of being prosecuted under Corporate Manslaughter legislation.

Whether you have ten or a thousand drivers, a business’s duty of care obligations remains the same.

The process is an ongoing one and enlisting the help of a reputable third-party provider can help make validation more accurate and efficient for everyone involved.

Allowing organisations to remain compliant and confident they are correctly covered as well as enabling finance teams to focus on the day-to-day – without fear of unexpected penalties and safe in the knowledge that it’s being taken care of.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New cameras are being installed ahead of the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to the North and South Circular.

Currently, the ULEZ covers the same area as the Congestion Charge Zone, but will cover an area 18 times that size when it goes live from October, 2021. 

Transport for London (TfL) says that the larger zone is vital to ensure that, as London recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, one public health crisis is not replaced with another.

It estimates that the new, expanded ULEZ will reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from road transport by around 30% across the city.

Alex Williams, TfL’s director of city planning, said: “Expanding the ultra-low emission zone will play a key role in discouraging people from driving heavily polluting vehicles.

“We have already seen significant falls in the most toxic emissions in central London and now see most vehicles meeting the tough standards in the heart of the capital.”

Williams added that TfL is providing financial support for small businesses and the most vulnerable to help them make the green transition.

The ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Motorists who drive in the zone in a vehicle that does not meet the minimum emission standard (petrol vehicles that do not meet Euro 4 standards and diesel vehicles that do not meet Euro 6) have to pay the daily charge.

The daily charge is £12.50 for cars, smaller vans, motorbikes and other lighter vehicles, and £100 for lorries, buses, coaches and other heavier vehicles.

The current zone has seen the number of vehicles meeting the tough emission standards rise from 39% in February 2017, to more than 80% now complying.

It has also contributed to a 44% reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide within its boundaries, says TfL.

The area covered by the existing Congestion Charge and ULEZ has around 650 cameras but, despite the expanded zone being 18 times the size, new technology means only around 750 additional cameras will need to be installed.

Of the vehicles that drive into the new, expanded ULEZ, TfL expects four out of five cars to be compliant by the time the scheme is introduced in October 2021.

To help support those who may find it difficult to meet the ULEZ standards with their own vehicles, the Mayor has launched a £48 million scrappage scheme for those on low incomes, disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles and greener forms of transport.

To help businesses and charities prepare for the expanded zone, earlier this year the Mayor doubled the amount of money available to £7,000 for those scrapping their older more polluting vans and minibuses and changed the criteria for the size of business eligible, so that more people could benefit.

The car and motorcycle scrappage scheme gives people support to take the dirtiest vehicles off the road and purchase a cleaner alternative, with up to £2,000 available for cars and £1,000 for motorbikes. So far, more than £12m has been given out in grants. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

Crash for cash remains a “real and growing” threat to all drivers, especially fleets and company car and van drivers, according to experts at AX.

Vehicle fraud is one of the fastest growing categories of insurance fraud in the UK, according to data from industry body, Cifas.

Fraudulent car collision claims increased 45% year-on-year in 2019, compared to an average increase of 27% across all categories of insurance fraud.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) estimates that crash for cash collisions, where fraudsters stage non-fault accidents, cost the industry around £340 million a year.

Vehicle protection and management technology provider AX suggests that drivers should educate and protect themselves and their vehicles in light of the growing problem. 

Director of Investigative Services at AX, Neil Thomas, explained: “Criminals will do anything to milk the motor industry and drivers, evolving their tactics to keep people guessing and avoid detection.

“We can’t completely stamp out their activities, but we can collectively do more to curtail what is a real and growing danger to drivers.

“Recent experience has shown how some criminals have used the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown to plan motor insurance frauds, and they are now intent on cashing in at the expense of innocent motorists.”

With crash for cash schemes among the most prevalent types of insurance fraud, AX says that the different tactics can be used to minimise the risk.

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRASH-FOR-CASH SCHEMES

Experts, including the ABI (Association of British Insurers) and AX, agree there are three main categories of crash for cash schemes: staged collisions, ghost collisions and induced collisions .

Staged collisions

Fraudsters intentionally damage vehicles to give the impression that a real crash has occurred. This could involve taking a sledgehammer to a parked car, or even intentionally crashing two vehicles – whatever it takes to fabricate the evidence.

Ghost collisions

While not strictly a crash for cash scheme, here a fraudster submits a totally fictional claim for a collision that never took place. It is like a staged collision except paper-based, taking advantage of instances where claims are never fully investigated.

Induced collisions

Finally, the most notorious tactic is the induced collision. This is where the fraudster drives in an erratic or manipulative way near innocent motorists, hoping to engineer crashes that appear legitimate.

The most reported technique used to induce collisions is braking hard while driving in front of another car, causing a rear-end collision. However, experts at AX have highlighted other, more sophisticated techniques:

• Flash for crash: where criminals flash their lights at junctions to let other drivers out, only to crash into them on purpose.
• Hide and crash: where criminals hide in a driver’s blind spot before moving in front and slamming on the brakes.
• Crash for ready cash: where the fraudster extorts cash from the driver at the roadside rather than through their insurer.

TIPS TO GUARD AGAINST CRASH FOR CASH SCHEMES

What can drivers and fleets do to protect their vehicles from crash for cash schemes? These are AX’s key recommendations for private motorists as well as fleet managers:

Learn/teach drivers to recognise the warning signs

To reduce the risk of induced collisions, drivers and fleet managers should learn the warning signs of these schemes.

For example, it is often possible to identify cars used in traditional slam-on collisions because they have rear-end damage from previous scams, or because the fraudsters have intentionally disabled their brake lights to increase the chances of a collision. Also watch out for erratic driving and passengers looking back as they could be waiting to tell the driver when to slam the brakes on. 

Investigate Collisions and claims

When a collision happens, drivers should gather evidence safely at the scene. Note key facts and where possible identify potential witnesses

It is vital that fleet managers have this evidence at hand quickly to prove fraudulent behaviour from the third party. For individuals and fleets that suspect they may have been the victim of a crash-for-cash scheme, report this to the police at the time and to their own Cheatline service.

Early identification of fraud can save companies significant amounts of money, stop fraudsters committing repeated scams and help authorities bring the criminals to justice.

Invest in dashcams, vehicle tracking devices and telematics

Finally, the use of technology can be instrumental in helping fraud investigators establish how the collision happened.

Any driver can invest in these technologies, and a fleet manager who suspects they may have been targeted by a staged collision can use telematics data to instantly verify whether the damage happened at the time and location reported by the claimant.

It is important not to assume telematics is a silver bullet, however. While modern vehicle tracking devices collect a vast amount of information, making sense of this data takes time and expertise.

For this reason, individuals and fleet managers hoping to stem the tide of fraudulent motor insurance claims and crash-for-cash scams should ensure they also have specialist vehicle crime investigators on their side.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The average sticker price of a used car grew by 4.6% to £13,888 in July, marking the fourth consecutive month of price growth, according to data from Auto Trader.

The growth is being driven by the strong performance of used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, especially petrol, which last month saw average prices increase 5.6% (£12,604), marking the highest rate of growth since October 2018.

Diesel recorded a similarly strong performance, with average prices increasing 4.1% (£14,705), the highest rate of growth since September 2014.

Prices for used electric vehicles have dropped by 4.3% however, due to increased supply, while alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFV) fared a little better, contracting at a rate of 1.1% (£22,508), marking five months of declining prices.

Richard Walker, Auto Trader’s director of data and insight, said: “Over the last few months, used car prices have benefited from high demand in the market whilst the supply side has emerged more slowly from lockdown.

Even when auctions reopened, the supply of new stock in the market has been slow to return to pre-Covid-19 levels, whilst demand has remained at record levels.

“Looking ahead, at a time of economic uncertainty and with so many variables at play, we will continue to be data driven rather than publish opinion-based statements about the future.

Whilst consumer demand shows no signs of slowing into August, we have seen that supply constraints are working their way through, so we expect the growth rate we’ve seen in recent month to stabilise somewhat, rather than continue to accelerate each month.”

Taking a more granular view of the market, due to growth in demand outstripping supply, price increases were recorded in every price band of used car. Demand for vehicles aged 10-15 years saw a year-on-year growth of 23% in July, while supply fell by -16%.

This resulted in vehicles aged 10-15 years recording the highest price growth among any age group, surging 10.4% (£4,254). In contrast vehicles up to 12 months naturally had the lowest, at 2.6% (£26,500).

In terms of premium and volume brands, both saw demand outstrip supply last month. As a result, both saw an increase in average prices, with premium recording an average growth of 1.8% (£20,779) and volume 9.8% (£9,143).

Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association, added: “It is encouraging to see sustained growth in used car prices as it demonstrates that, despite the challenging economic circumstances, the public are placing their trust in cars as a means of safe and secure transport. It is interesting to see the greatest increase in value of diesel cars since September 2014.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News