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FleetCheck has added coronavirus symptoms to its Vehicle Inspection App’s fit-to-drive section.

The app is designed to increase fleet safety for cars, vans, HGVs, buses and coaches and is widely used, having been used to complete two million checks.

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said: “The fit-to-drive declaration is an essential part of the app as well as fundamental fleet risk management itself. It means that a driver is making a declaration each day that they consider themselves OK to work.

“Clearly, when we’re all dealing with something as contagious as coronavirus, this takes on a whole new dimension, especially as many of the fleets still working on a daily basis are home delivery companies that are dealing with the public.”

The new, coronavirus-based declaration that FleetCheck has written and made available to our customers aims to provide a simple and easy reminder for drivers of the symptoms that they are likely to be experiencing if infected, says Golding.

The Vehicle Inspection App was introduced in April 2017 and creates the means for drivers and fleet managers to schedule, carry out, confirm, follow-up and audit all kinds of legally-required inspections from daily walkarounds to weekly or monthly checks.

It has been continually enhanced, notably to incorporate a range of features such as support for languages commonly used among UK fleet drivers, the fit-to-drive declaration, enhanced damage, defect and collision reporting and shift recording.

A new, streamlined version of the app, called FleetCheck Driver, was launched earlier this year and provides a simplified solution for fleets that currently have no risk management measures in place.

Golding said: “Last week, as an example, 170,000 checks were undertaken using the app so it is no exaggeration to say that the fit-to-drive declaration could help to play a useful part in stopping the spread of the virus among and by drivers.”  By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

The following information is guidance provided by the Government. During the MOT 6 month exemption period you must ensure that the vehicle is still roadworthy and safe to drive.

You’re responsible for making sure your vehicle is always safe to drive (‘roadworthy’). It can be unsafe even if you have a current MOT certificate.

You can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Checks you should carry out

Every time you drive you should check:

• the windscreen, windows and mirrors are clean
• all lights work
• the brakes work

Your vehicle’s handbook will tell you how often to check the:

• engine oil
• water level in the radiator or expansion tank
• brake fluid level
• battery
• windscreen and rear window washer bottles – top up with windscreen washer fluid if necessary
• tyres – they must have the correct tread depth and be free of cuts and defects

The handbook will also tell you when your vehicle needs to be serviced.

Tyre tread

Tread must be a certain depth depending on the type of vehicle:

• cars, light vans and light trailers – 1.6 millimetres (mm)
• motorcycles, large vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles – 1mm

Mopeds only need to have visible tread.

There must be tread across the middle three-quarters and around the entire tyre.

By Graham Hill – reprinted from Government website

Drivers will be granted a six-month exemption from MOT testing, allowing people to carry on with essential travel, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

Cars, motorcycles and vans will be granted a MOT exemption that will enable essential travel to work where it cannot be done from home, or shop for necessities.

All cars, motorcycles and vans that require a MOT test will be exempt from needing a test from March 30. The Department for Transport (DfT) urges that vehicles must be kept in a roadworthy condition as drivers could face prosecution if they are driving unsafe vehicles.

This 6 month extension has caused concern with the IGA who say that the current MOT failure rate is 31%, which means that nearly 10 million vehicles do not meet even the basic roadworthiness level of compliance. DVSA warns drivers that their car must stay roadworthy and that fines can be issued for up to £2,500 (with a ban and 3 points) for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

The DfT advises that people should stay at home and avoid travel. The only reasons people should leave their homes is set out in the government guidance.

Transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “We must ensure those on the frontline of helping the nation combat COVID19 are able to do so.

“Allowing this temporary exemption from vehicle testing will enable vital services such as deliveries to continue, frontline workers to get to work, and people get essential food and medicine.

“Safety is key, which is why garages will remain open for essential repair work.”

Legislation will be introduced on March 30 and will come into immediate effect for 12 months. Drivers will still need to get their vehicle tested until the new regulations come into place, if they need to use it. Garages will remain open for essential repair work.

If vehicle owners cannot get an MOT as they are in self-isolation, the DfT says it is working with insurers and the police to ensure people aren’t unfairly penalised for things out of their control.

“The temporary MoT exemption is positive as it will allow vital services to continue and aftersales workshops to prioritise essential repair works on critical vehicles”, said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK.

“We welcome the transport secretary’s comments that ‘safety is key’ and aftersales departments will remain open for essential repair work.”

Karen Hilton, chief commercial officer at HeyCar, believes granting the six-month exemption from MOT testing is the right thing to do. She said: “We’re really pleased with the news that MOTs have been scrapped for at least six months. We’ve had queries from concerned customers about what they should do, as taking their car for an MOT seems to conflict with the Government advice to stay at home. People have enough worries in this time of crisis without having to consider how they get their car in for MOT.

“Scrapping the MOT for all vehicles while the country goes through the coronavirus lockdown is the only sensible approach, removing risk for motorists and mechanics alike.

“This isn’t business as usual, we are all being told to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and while the MOT is vital for all vehicles, especially older ones from a safety point of view, it’s just another one of those appointments that will now have to wait in order to protect the health of the community.

“Many mechanics are small businesses who will be hit hard by the loss of income. There is sure to be a wave of motorists who need an MOT once the exemption is lifted.”

To be clear, the Government are currently saying that MOT Centres and garages can stay open after 30 March but obviously all the advice re social distancing should continue to be followed so that means:

• Taking contactless payments (the limit goes up to £45 from £30 on 1 April 2020)
• Not printing MOT certificates
• Keeping customers and staff at least 2 meters apart
• Remind employees and customers to wash their hands for as long as it takes to watch Son Heung-Min score and celebrate his wonder goal against Burney in December
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly
• Use seat covers and disposable gloves

By Graham Hill thanks to various contributors.

Millions of motorists have been ripped off in a £150million delivery scheme to inflate the price of new cars, it is claimed.

Eight in ten new cars have seen price increases of up to £60 after shipping firms conspired to fix delivery costs, according to a lawsuit.

A total of 17million cars are said to have been affected over ten years. Now lawyers are to launch a US-style ‘class action’ against five of the world’s biggest shipping firms to try to win money back for consumers.

Customers affected include those who bought from Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Citroen and Renault, between October 2006 and September 2015.

At the heart of the case is a line near the end of every customer’s new-car bill which reads: ‘Plus delivery.’

The exact amount of ‘overpayment’ owed per customer will vary based on how far the car may have travelled, including from the Far East and the US.

The maximum overpayment is £60 with an average of about £9 per car. But if a family has bought or leased a number of new cars over the decade the sums quickly add up, according to legal firm Scott+Scott which is bringing the action.

The ‘class action’ – a group legal suit under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 – has been filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of consumers and businesses who purchased or leased new cars and vans between 2006 and 2015.

In 2018, EU watchdogs found the five shipping firms guilty of running an anti-competitive price-fixing cartel – and fined them £330million.

They ruled that the firms had coordinated tenders, allocated customers, conspired on capacity reductions, and exchanged commercially sensitive pricing information to maintain or increase shipping prices.

All the companies had acknowledged their involvement and agreed to settle the cases, watchdogs said.

The shippers were caught out by a so-called ‘ratters’ charter’ which gives immunity to the first member of any cartel to blow the whistle on their partners. This gives guilty firms an incentive to ‘rat’ first on the others to avoid hefty fines.

Lawyers say car-makers are not the guilty parties, pointing out that they too were outraged by the rip-off.

The five companies are Japanese carriers MOL, K Line, and NYK, Sweden’s WWL/EUKOR, and Chile’s CSAV. Although not household names, their role in moving cars around the world is huge.

The case is being led by Mark McLaren, formerly of consumers’ group Which? A pre-trial hearing is expected in the autumn.

He said: ‘When UK consumers and businesses purchased or leased a new car, they paid more for the delivery than they should have done… I strongly believe that compensation should be paid when consumers are harmed by such deliberate, unlawful conduct.’

David Scott, of Scott+Scott, said: ‘Consumers and businesses who bought or leased a new Ford, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes or Toyota, for example, are owed money.’

He added: ‘Just because these international shipping companies aren’t household names shouldn’t mean that they are able to get away with it.’

If the ‘class action’ case is won anyone who bought an affected car will be automatically entitled to money back. All they need to do is provide their details and proof of purchase or lease and they will get paid.

The shippers have already been hit be penalties beyond the EU, including Australia, China, Japan and the US.  By Graham Hill thanks to the Daily Mail

Vehicles will be diverted away from pollution hotspots by signs that react in real-time to increases in harmful emissions.

The technology will be trialled in the Central Bedfordshire Council region thanks to a new network of 24 air pollution sensors.

The network, which has been installed by Westcotec in partnership with Airly, provides open-access, real-time air quality information via an online live map link.

Speaking at the launch of the network at the Move urban mobility exhibition in London, last month, Central Bedfordshire Council senior road safety engineer, Tim Oxley, set out the opportunities now available to reduce exposure to high levels of pollution.

“This project provides a significant step forward in relation to the action we can take when air pollution levels are high,” he said.

“We previously had to wait for data, meaning we were unable to make on-the-spot interventions. Now, by integrating the real-time data with other roadside technology, we can take immediate action that will reduce exposure to high levels of air pollution – steps such as putting traffic diversions in place.”

Oxley believes the real-time sensors provide an “excellent opportunity” to be proactive in dealing with air pollution and to minimise its impact on people.

He says the council has a number of initiatives planned, thanks to the new network, including projects with schools, monitoring pollution from buses and traffic diversions using vehicle-activated signs when air quality levels require.

Westcotec, which specialises in vehicle-activated signs and traffic safety systems, is monitoring the air quality levels and developing future signage to work in conjunction with the air quality reading.

The first sign showing live pollution data was expected revealed at a trade show in Amsterdam planned for April.

Westcotec head of sales and marketing Olly Samways explained: “We have always been interested by pollution rate against traffic flows and speeds.

“As a step on from monitoring, being able to reduce the actual amount of pollutants when a high level is reached was an even larger area of interest. We regularly install over-height and flood monitoring devices that divert vehicles so this would work in a similar way.”

The technology has the potential for local authorities to focus their efforts on those specific areas which require action, rather than the blanket restrictions imposed by clean air zones (CAZs).

Oxley told Fleet News the level of interest from other local authorities in the technology had been “extremely high”.

Central Bedfordshire Council was keen to get involved in the trial after learning Westcotec was looking for a test bed for the technology.

In terms of how the air pollution signs will work, Samways explained that the data can be sourced using the open API.

“When a pre-determined figure is reached, an alert can be sent through the internet to a 4G modem within the sign, which can enable the sign to display such messages as ‘HGV DIVERT AHEAD’ together with directional arrows,” he said.

“We can create diversion signage that will only trigger when pollution levels are high, and which will guide specific categories of vehicle – such as heavy goods vehicles and buses – away from at-risk areas at these times.”

The technology trial in Bedfordshire comes as Coventry City Council announced it would not be introducing a CAZ, after receiving Government support for an alternative emissions reduction plan.

It includes vehicle restrictions on specific roads, new cycle routes, electric buses and changes to road layouts.

A £1 million scrappage scheme will also be trialled in Coventry next year, with motorists given up to £3,000 worth of mobility credits to ditch their car.

The credits will be provided on a smartphone app through which participants will also be able to plan and book their journeys.

Later in the year, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will invite people, who are willing to give up their cars, to apply for the two-year pilot project.

TfWM, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), is working up the detail of the scheme ahead of its launch.

The trial is funded from the £22m Future Mobility Zone grant to the region by the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop and test new transport technology and schemes. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A new study has revealed that in-vehicle infotainment systems are impairing reactions times behind the wheel more than alcohol and cannabis use.

Stopping distances, lane control and response to external stimuli were all negatively affected by the use of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in a new study by TRL and IAM Roadsmart.

Among the results, the study found that reaction times at motorway speeds increased average stopping distances to between four and five car lengths.

The study also found that drivers took their eyes off the road for as long as 16 seconds while driving (equivalent to a distance of more than 500 metres at 70 mph), and using touch control resulted in reaction times that were even worse than texting while driving.

Neil Greig, policy and research director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Driver distraction is estimated to be a factor in around a third of all road collisions in Europe each year.

“While previous research indicates that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto perform better than more traditional buttons and controls, the results from this latest study raise some serious concerns about the development and use of the latest in-vehicle infotainment systems. Anything that distracts a driver’s eyes or mind from the road is bad news for road safety.

“We’re now calling on industry and government to openly test and approve such systems and develop consistent standards that genuinely help minimise driver distraction.”

During the study, drivers completed a series of three drives on the same simulated test route to assess the level of impact of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. On the first run, drivers did not interact with the system. On subsequent runs, drivers interacted with the system using voice control only and then using touch control only.

Both methods of control were found to significantly distract drivers, however touchscreen control proved the more distracting of the two.

While many drivers realised the system was causing a distraction and modified their behaviour by, for example, slowing down, performance was still adversely affected with drivers unable to maintain a constant distance to the vehicle in front, reacting more slowly to sudden occurrences and deviating outside of their lane.

“Individuals driving for work are just as at risk as the general public, so we would also encourage employers to review their advice and policies in light of this research,” added Greig.

GEM Motoring Assist has welcomed Government plans to improve the safety of smart motorways, but warned motorists will still face being stranded in the road.

The road safety group was one of many organisations to express concern recently at the risks posed by the absence of hard shoulders, the cost-saving increase in distance between refuge areas and the problems relating to vehicles being stranded in motorway lanes.

It has criticised the lack of clear information relating to the use of smart motorways, and has called for an end to the use of smart motorway jargon, such as ‘all-lane running’ and ‘live lanes’, which will mean nothing to the average driver.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said: “The toll of deaths, injuries and near-misses on smart motorways in recent years is unacceptably high, so we are relieved that the government has listened to the valid concerns of road safety groups.”

The Government announced a series of measures to improve the safety of smart motorways earlier this month, following a review commissioned by transport secretary Grant Shapps.

The Government plans include: scrapping the use of motorway hard shoulders at busy times; increasing in the number of places vehicles can stop in an emergency on motorways where hard shoulders have been removed; increasing the number of traffic officer patrols; providing better signage; and improving public information and awareness, including what to do in an emergency.

Read more about the Government’s 18-point smart motorway plan here

However, Worth said: “We remain concerned that enough is being done to reduce risk for those motorists unfortunate enough to experience a breakdown on a stretch of smart motorway.

“Although under these plans there will thankfully be more places to pull over in an emergency, we warn that many drivers who break down will still face the real risk of finding themselves stuck on the carriageway, with no protection whatsoever.”

GEM Motoring Assist was established in 1932, as an independent driver-based road safety association. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

All road-user charges will be suspended in the capital from today (Monday, March 23) until further notice, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

The congestion charge and fees for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) have been suspended during the coronavirus outbreak to ensure London’s critical workers are able to travel round London in the way that best suits them.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the move also supports the supply chain, the effort to keep supermarkets fully stocked and the city’s continued operation.

Government advice is that people need to limit social contact and travel should only be undertaken if absolutely necessary.

The roads need to be kept clear for the emergency services and critical workers who need to get around by car, said TfL. Drivers are asked to consider the wider implications when thinking about using their vehicles.

To keep the public transport network running TfL has already reduced the number of stations open and are ensuring they are appropriately staffed.

For some critical workers, in the current circumstances, driving to work will be the simplest option, which is why the charges have been lifted.

To further support vital hospital staff getting into work during these challenging times, NHS workers will be given a code that waives the 24-hour access fee for Santander Cycles, meaning any journey under 30 minutes is free.

In addition to free access, docking stations near hospitals are being prioritised to ensure there is a regular supply of bikes for medical staff to use.

Khan said: “People should not be travelling, by any means, unless they really have to. London’s roads should now only be used for essential journeys.

“To help our critical workers get to work and for essential deliveries to take place, I have instructed TfL to temporarily suspend the Congestion Charge, ULEZ and Low Emission Zone from Monday.”

Paul Cowperthwaite, TfL’s general manager of road User charging, explained that London’s critical workforce is wider than just the core emergency services.

“Emergency services workers are absolutely fundamental to our response, but supermarket workers, utilities engineers, refuse collectors, and many more, also need to be able to travel to keep the city functioning,” he said. “This is why we have temporarily suspended road user charging in the capital.”  By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

A record number of people avoided penalty points on their licence last year, after taking driver awareness courses.

The figures, from the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme, show almost 1.5 million people, including company car and van drivers, chose to take a course, rather than add points and face a possible ban.

That equates a threefold increase in the past nine years, when a little more than 467,000 drivers attended a course.

In 2019, the vast majority – some 86% (1.28m) of drivers – avoided points by taking a speed awareness course, up 8.1% (96,000) on the previous year.

This was followed by almost 107,000 drivers, who were sent on the ‘national motorway awareness course’ for offences committed on smart motorways, including breaking variable speed limits, ignoring red ‘X’ signs and wrongly stopping in emergency lay-bys.

The course was introduced three years ago.

A further 76,000-plus drivers took the ‘what’s driving us?’ course aimed at drivers caught tailgating or using a mobile phone at the wheel.

The classroom-based courses can cost up to £100 and take about four hours to complete.

Research by the RAC Foundation – based on Home Office data for 2018-19 – suggests that 44% of all speeding offences detected in England and Wales result in someone being sent on a course.

“It would be good to think that as more and more people pass through the doors of these courses, so our roads are getting safer,” said Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation. “For some, at least, that appears to be true. The challenge is in making the lessons stick once the motorists attending them are back out in the often all-too-aggressive world of modern traffic.”

Analysis of 5,000 UK business drivers over a 12-month period revealed that they exceeded speed limits by 19.4%, on average (48mph on a 40mph stretch and so on).

The data, from telematics firm Airmax Remote, also showed that there were, on average, eight speeding events per mile.

Richard Perham, managing director of Airmax Remote, said: “Speeding is a major issue, especially for businesses that rely on fleets – not only from a safety point of view, but also the impact on fuel economy and poor mpg.

“It is imperative that drivers who are guilty of speeding are given the appropriate training to ensure that they comply with road speed limits.

“Not only can businesses suffer from a poor profile resulting from speeding (as company branding can appear on a vehicle), the extreme of this is a corporate manslaughter case and if the driver responsible for a fatal accident is known to have a long history of speeding, then blame can be placed on the business.”

Home Office figures show there were 2,386,780 speeding offences detected in England and Wales in 2018-19 – a 37% rise on the 1,740,217 detected in 2011-12.

It was also 4% higher than the 2,292,534 speeding offences recorded in 2017-18.

The total number of all motoring offences detected across the two countries in 2018-19 was 2,837,661, meaning speeding accounted for 84% of them.

Of the 2,386,780 speeding offences detected in 2018-19: 44% resulted in the offender being sent on a speed awareness course; 34% attracted fixed penalty notices (FPNs); 12% were later cancelled; and 10% resulted in court action.

The analysis – based on Home Office data and carried out by Dr Adam Snow of Liverpool John Moores University and Doreen Lam of the RAC Foundation – reveals the headline figure for those caught speeding hides large variations between constabularies.

West Yorkshire topped the list with 181,867 people caught speeding in 2018-19; second was Avon and Somerset (159,210) followed by the Metropolitan Police, including City of London (157,494).

At the other end of the scale Wiltshire Constabulary caught only 807 people speeding, Cleveland caught 11,937 and Derbyshire 12,256. Wiltshire turned off its speed cameras in 2010.

Across the 43 constabularies of England and Wales, the vast majority (97%) of offences were detected by speed cameras.

The variations across police forces will, in part, be down to geographical area, road type and traffic volume. They will also be created by local policing priorities.

Gooding concluded: “The simple rule for drivers who don’t want to risk ending up with a speeding ticket is not to break the limit in the first place.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

The Government will have to help businesses to recover from the effects of Coronavirus. In the US they have cut interest rates to 0% down from 1.75% which is a massive drop aimed at stimulating the economy.

However, the UK’s Bank Of England was only at 0.75% in the first place so dropping to 0.25% was never going to have the shot in the arm effect that the massive drop in the US would have on its economy.over there.

So one of the rumours flying around at the moment to stimulate the UK economy is a temporary drop in VAT.

Some are suggesting a drop from 20% to 15% with some suggesting a drop of as much as 10% to a standard rate of 10%.

This would immediately affect the quotes going out as soon as the drop is confirmed by the Chancellor but how will it affect you if you already have an agreement?

Well, years ago I was criticised for showing my monthly figures for a PCH excluding VAT. The reason for this was to make it clear that your monthly payments can be adjusted in line with the current VAT rate.

So to be clear if the VAT rate is dropped and you have an ongoing PCH agreement your monthly payments will also drop accordingly.

So if you are currently paying £200 + VAT you’ll be paying £240 per month. But if the rate drops from 20% to 10% your payments will drop to £220 per month.

However, when the rate increases you will be back to where you were. But you will enjoy a short term benefit which you wouldn’t enjoy if you had a PCP. By Graham Hill