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Highways England has seen an increase in road workers suffering abuse, despite traffic flows falling during coronavirus restrictions.

To mark Road Safety Week (November 16-22), Highways England urged all road workers to ensure they report any and all incidents of both incursions and abuse.

In the first nine months of 2020, it says there has been a 10% increase in abuse incidents compared to the first nine months of 2019.

Furthermore, it says there were nearly 6,500 incidents where vehicles ignored traffic restrictions and entered a traffic management area – so called incursions – between October 2017 and October 2020 – an average of 175 a month. 

Mark Byard, director of health and safety at Highways England, said: “Our roads keep the country moving, keep families connected and businesses in business, so our roadworkers are vital to everyone’s wellbeing, and their wellbeing is vital to us.”

Byard says that 175 reported incursions a month is “far too many” and urged members of supply chain to report all incidents of incursions and abuse. “Together we can make a difference,” he said.

Highways England has recently lead a cross-industry project to raise awareness of road worker safety. Collaborating with 18 supply chain companies across the highways industry, such as Amey, Balfour Beatty and Skanska, Highways England has spear-headed the creation and production of a short video aimed at the public to educate them that driving into roadworks puts construction and maintenance workers at risk.

The video is also accompanied by a further 13 short films produced by Highways England’s supply chain partners. Aimed at construction and maintenance roadworkers, they illustrate what to do if someone drives (or walks) into works. These videos are being used in training and briefings on sites to help keep the roadworkers on site safe from incursions.

James Haluch, managing director at Amey Highways and chair of the vehicle incursions working group, said: “In 2019, in Amey alone we recorded 753 actual vehicle incursions into our road closures.

“Worse still, we have an actual collision with a traffic management vehicle every four or so months. Each one of these results in injuries to our people and it is generally the case that the physical injuries heal far quicker than the mental health ones.

“I would not ask my kids to drive an impact protection vehicle so I do struggle asking my colleagues to. Hence this unprecedented collaboration by the Highways sector in raising awareness is so critical in helping to eliminate the risk to the people that maintain our road network to keep the country connected.

“A few moments lapse of concentration could be life changing.”

Highways England is urging all roadworkers to report any incidents of incursion or abuse using their companies existing methods for near miss reporting.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government is calling on local authorities to stock-up on salt and grit to keep key routes open, while bolstering Highways England’s fleet of gritters. 

 

Roads minister Baroness Vere wants councils across the country to ensure key transport routes to Covid-19 test centres are kept open this winter.

In a letter to councils, she urged them to ensure they have adequate supplies of salt and grit as the country prepares for the potential challenge of severe weather alongside Covid-19.

Salt producers – through the Salt Association – have confirmed that production is at sufficient levels to protect road users over the coming months.

The Government has also invested more £16 million to help Highways England deploy 93 new gritters this winter on the country’s motorways and major A-roads.

The new gritters join a 535-strong winter fleet, including 23 snow blowers capable of removing up to 2,500 tonnes of snow per hour.

A further £40m will be invested by Highways England to help more than 250 replacement winter vehicles join the fleet.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We have worked tirelessly with the country’s highways teams to make sure our transport networks are kept open and running in whatever weather we encounter. 

“This year, it is more important than ever that Britain is prepared for the winter as we continue to tackle the pandemic. Through this work, we’ll ensure key routes to Covid-19 test centres remain open in the coming months.” 

Jim O’Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England, added: “Our winter fleet will be out treating our roads around the clock whenever ice or snow is forecast, but it is still important that drivers plan their journeys, make sure they are prepared for the winter weather and drive safely in all conditions.”

The UK’s rail network is also prepared for the more challenging weather conditions, with contingency plans put together so essential workers can rely on the railways.

Network Rail and train operators are implementing a range of measures, from deploying specialist cold-weather vehicles such as de-icers at strategic locations, to using inflatable flood defence measures, as well as special timetables ready to implement if needed. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has attempted to clarify the types of hybrid cars and vans that will be allowed to remain on sale until 2035.

The Government have announced that new petrol and diesel cars and vans will not be allowed to be sold in the UK from 2030.

However, it said that it would continue to allow the sale of hybrid cars and vans that can drive a “significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe” until 2035.

BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney said that the 2035 extension for hybrids would provide an “essential lifeline” for those facing a greater zero-emission challenge.

However, he said that vehicle rental companies and van fleet operators would need “clarity on exactly what types of hybrid are in scope”.

Speaking at the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle conference, following the Government announcement on the petrol and diesel ban,  Natasha Robinson, head of OLEV, said: “From 2035 all new cars and vans will need to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe and between 2030 and 2035 all new cars and vans must have significant zero emission capability.

“That means for example plug-in hybrids and what are called full hybrids would count, but what are known as mild hybrids, which just help with acceleration and deceleration, wouldn’t necessarily count as having significant zero emission capability.”

What constitutes significant zero emission miles hasn’t been decided yet, she said.

“What we are looking at is the really cleanest vehicles that are out there where the battery should be able to operate independently, so we would expect them to be able to operate as a zero emission vehicles for a certain amount of time – we will be talking to industry and talking to others more widely around defining that more tightly over the coming months – but at the moment just to be clear what we are looking at is those plug-in and full hybrids.”

Full hybrids include the likes of the Toyota Prius and the Kia Niro, while mild hybrids, which are rapidly becoming the norm on most engines, are offered by Ford, with MHEV engines on the Fiesta, Puma and Focus.

The BMW 320d and 520d are now mild hybrid too, while Volvo has all but one of its petrol or diesel engines as mild hybrid now (badged B instead of D or T).  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) is urging the Government to change the way it reports road deaths to show danger as well as vulnerability.

The ‘What kills most on the roads?’ analysis from PACTS, highlights that pedestrians and cyclists rarely kill other road users while motor vehicles do.

It also shows that road users are much more likely to be killed in a car, or by a car, than any other mode.

The report shows that for every 100 pedestrians killed, almost two thirds involved a car (65), 11 involved a lorry, seven involved a van and six involved a bus.

David Davies, PACTS executive director, said the current way Department for Transport (DfT) figures are reported “can tie even the most seasoned road safety professional in knots”.

He said safety data can be open to misunderstanding which in turn can lead to “poor policy decisions”.

Davies said: “This new style of report shows road danger as well as vulnerability.

“It highlights the overall risks involved with different modes of transport, including the risks posed to others.”

PACTS is urging the DfT to include this form of analysis in its future publications, which it hopes will lead to a better understanding by experts, politicians and the media of the sources of road danger and how forward-thinking policies on active travel can be achieved in parallel with ambitious road safety objectives.

What kills most on the roads? report data shows:

For 100 pedestrians killed

• 65 deaths involved a car
• 11 involved a lorry
• 7 involved a van and
• 6 involved a bus

For 100 cyclists killed

• 48  deaths involved a car
• 12 involved a lorry
• 7 involved a van and
• and 14 involved no other vehicle

For 100 motorcyclist killed

• 33 involved a car
• 5 involved a lorry
• 5  involved a van
• 12 involved no other vehicle

In every 100 crashes, of those killed by HGV

• 42 were in cars
• 20 were walking
• 11 were motorcyclists
• 7 were cyclists
• 6 were in vans
• 4 were also in an HGV

In every 100 crashes, of those killed by a car

• 42 were walking
• 30 were also in a car
• 16 were on a motorcycle
• 7 were on a bicycle

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Roads pricing plans are likely to be revived in a bid to stem the estimated £40bn tax revenue that will be lost as new car buyers switch to electric vehicles (EVs), according to a report by The Times.

The paper claims that Chancellor Rishi Sunak was presented with a Treasury paper that outlines a nationwide road pricing scheme and he is “very interested” in the idea.

Replacing the estimated £40bn of annual tax revenue from fuel duty and vehicle excise duty (VED) is becoming a higher priority for the Treasury as the shift to EVs gathers pace.

Incentives to boost the sales of EVs include zero VED in the first year and 0% benefit-in-kind tax.

Fuel duty tax, which currently contributes some £28bn per year (excluding VAT) to the public purse, will also diminish as fewer petrol and diesel cars are used on British roads.

The Government has announced its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, brought forward from 2040 to 2030.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “While the push toward electric vehicles is good for the environment, it is not good for the Exchequer.”

The AA has proposed ‘Road Miles’ whereby every driver gets 3000 free ‘miles’, with one third more for those in rural areas, and then a small charge thereafter.

“Combined with commercialising the roads with an adopt a highway scheme with naming rights such as the Minecraft M1, Manchester Utd M6 or Adidas A1, this should be prove a more popular solution,” King added.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “While not paying car tax is clearly an incentive to go fully electric at the moment, we will very soon need a system that can levy tax on both conventionally fuelled and battery electric vehicles fairly. If this isn’t addressed, we risk finding ourselves in a situation where petrol and diesel drivers continue to pay all the tax for using the roads which is unsustainable.

RAC research shows around four-in-10 drivers believe that some form of ‘pay-per mile’ system would be fairer than the current system of fuel duty, while half (49%) agree that the more someone drives the more they should pay in tax. Drivers are also clear that tax revenues from any replacement for fuel duty should be solely reinvested back into the road network.

The Treasury has refused to comment.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Fleet decision-makers and the leasing industry is bracing itself for a price hike on new company car and van orders in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

However, in a note from BMW, seen by Fleet News, the German manufacturer has announced a customs duty related increase of more than £3,000 on the recommended retail pricing (RRP) of the BMW i3, irrespective of whether there is a free trade deal or not.

BMW had announced at the beginning of October that BMW i3 models, along with the majority of other BMW models, would be subject to an “economic increase” in the recommended retail price rise from January 1, 2021.

Due to changes in the ‘Product Specific Rules of Origin’ legislation, it says that the maximum permitted content of non-EU and non-UK materials means these models will be subject to additional tariffs after the end of the Brexit transition period.

This will be the case, it adds, “whether or not there is a free trade agreement with the EU”, which means a further increase in the RRP of BMW i3 models is needed.

The current RRP for a BMW i3 (ZI3I), valid until December 31, is £35,120 – the previously announced RRP, to be effective from January 1, was £35,670. However, BMW says that the new RRP from January will now be £38,785 – an increase of more than £3,600.

Similarly, the current RRP for a BMW i3 (ZI3J), valid until December 31, is £37,650 – the previously announced RRP, to be effective from January 1, was £38,200. However, BMW says that the new RRP from January will now be £41,315 – again an increase of more than £3,600.

It says that for Direct Sales Agency Agreement vehicles, orders registered on or before December 31 will be charged the pricing valid on the date of order.

Meanwhile orders registered on or after January 1 will be charged as follows:

Vehicles which arrive in the UK on or before December 31 and which are marked sold on or before December 31 will be charged the pricing valid on the date of order as the vehicle will not incur additional import charges. Vehicles must be registered by April 30, 2021, to benefit from this pricing.

Vehicles which arrive in the UK on or after January 1, regardless of the date of order, or which are marked sold on or after January 1, will be charged at the new price, incorporating the customs duty increase and are not price protected.

BMW’s price hike comes after Renault issued its own price warning ahead of a free trade agreement not being reached.

In a letter from Renault’s fleet director, Mark Dickens, to customers, he says that the manufacturer has been in discussions with our factories to secure “increased production of vehicles and parts” to mitigate any risk of disruption to supply at the UK-EU border.

In addition, he said that Renault has increased capacity and staffing to ensure the “timely delivery of vehicles, parts and accessories to our customers”.

Any customer order created up to and including October 31, 2020, will be price protected regardless of the importation date, he says.

Any order placed from November 1 onwards, and that is matched to a vehicle imported from January 1, however, could be subject to revised pricing based on the imposition of vehicle tariffs.

In the event that tariffs apply on import, Renault says that those will be as per World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms, and will be added to the order price. Tariffs on WTO terms equate to 10% of the total new vehicle price including options.

Furthermore, it says any vehicle imported from January 1, ordered from November 1, could be subject to revised pricing based on the imposition of vehicle tariffs.

Finally, it says that any customer order created from January 1 would be subject to any new pricing irrespective of vehicle importation date.

Dickens wrote: “We will continue to closely monitor events and will keep you informed of any developments.”

Fleet News reported last month, how manufacturers had written to leasing companies warning them that they cannot guarantee company car prices beyond the end of the year, even for some models being ordered now.

In letters sent to vehicle lease provides by major carmakers, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz, they say that the threat of a ‘no deal’ Brexit was to blame for the potential price hike.

Talks between the UK and EU are due to resume in Brussels at this 11^th hour. A free trade deal is looking less likely but still in the balance.

Any deal between the UK and EU would need to be ratified by parliaments on both sides, so time is running out for an agreement to be reached and to get the sign off before December 31.

Residual Value Concerns

A senior manager working at an FN50 vehicle leasing company, said the lack of clarity around pricing was a big issue for the industry.

He said: “Our view is that we should be advising clients to hold back on orders unless they choose from the manufacturers that have said they will honour prices.”

He envisages a number of cancellations from customers where any price protection doesn’t apply.

Furthermore, in terms of future residual values, he said they were in a state of “limbo”.

“There is an argument that they should increase proportionately to the increase in new vehicle prices,” he said, “but that would only be if we expected that the used market increases in value proportionately in three years’ time.

“There is an argument for that, but the future used values would then be increasing in value because of a one-off tariff that is being imposed rather than anything that relates to enhanced value.

“Such increases may be correct when looking at the actual price values of new vehicles, but it is also a value based on the future value prediction of a tax, which doesn’t feel quite right either.”

He continued: “If the tariff was imposed for just an – undetermined – period of time, and then taken away, what would happen to used car prices? Will they also increase now for a while and the turn back or will they stay at the higher value? Will future residual values also rise and then fall again in that scenario?

“In essence, the uncertainty will show through in the new car and used car market we believe and cause a de-stabilising effect. This is never good news for anyone in the automotive sector.”

‘Costly’ Brexit Preparations

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the cost to the sector of preparing for Brexit has surpassed £735 million, with more than £235 million spent in 2020 alone.

Most companies (67%) across the industry say they are doing everything in their control to prepare for new processes that will come into play on January 1, with 70% securing GB Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) numbers, 60% spending significantly on stockpiling and 52% employing customs agents, as companies also try to prepare for any disruption or delay to supply chains.

However, significant gaps in the industry’s ability to plan still exist, with a lack of clarity on the nature of the UK-EU’s future relationship hampering the efforts of almost nine in 10 (86%) firms to prepare.

Critical questions remain unanswered. With the industry’s competitiveness built on Just-in-Time deliveries, companies cannot afford any supply chain delays so clarity on the operation of key new customs systems such as the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) and the Permission to Progress (P2P) process, is vital, says SMMT.

Moreover, even if the UK and EU do conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) from the end of 2020, there is uncertainty as to how companies will prove origin or products; if firms cannot do this then they will not be able to benefit from preferential trading terms.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “As the UK-EU FTA negotiations enter the endgame, now is the time for both sides to deliver on promises to safeguard the automotive industry.

“Securing a deal is absolutely critical but it cannot be any deal. To work for UK automotive it must deliver for UK products and that means securing the right terms and conditions that allow our exports – now and in the future – to be zero tariff and zero quota trade.

A deal that failed to achieve this would be the equivalent to no deal at all, devastating jobs and slamming the brakes on the UK’s ambitions to be a world leading manufacturer and market for electrified mobility and battery technologies.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

For the last two years I’ve questioned the need for an electric vehicle charge infrastructure. We now have a deadline following which no petrol or diesel cars can be sold so we need to be satisfied that we can charge our EV’s.

Manufacturers are already developing cars with ranges up to 800 miles whilst BP have superfast chargers that can charge 80% in around 30 minutes. With average annual mileage dropping and set to remain low post COVID there is no need to have a massive charging infrastructure.

These are my views but they don’t seem to be shared by too many others. Let’s see what others say.

The number of public electric vehicle charging devices has increased 18% in the UK over the past year to 19,487.

The figure is included in the latest Electric Vehicle Charging Device Statistics report produced by the Department for Transport, which says that, of these, 3,530 were rapid devices.

This is an increase of nearly 10 times since 2015.

Rod Dennis, RAC data insight spokesman, said: “The rise in the number of charge points across the UK is very encouraging and sends all the right signals to drivers who might be thinking about opting for an electric model next time they change their car.

“Add in the fact that many people with electric cars can charge from home and overall it’s a positive picture.

“But there’s still a way to go and the focus now needs to be on installing as many fast chargers as possible, given that less than a fifth of public chargers are rapid.

“While the speed of fully charging an electric car can’t compete with the five minutes or so it takes to fill up a petrol or diesel model, a greater number of faster chargepoints could help tempt more people to ‘go electric’ sooner.”

The DfT report says there is an uneven geographical distribution of charging devices within the UK.

London has the highest level of charging device provision per 100,000 of population with 63, while Northern Ireland is lowest with 17. The UK average is 29 per 100,000 people.

Some UK local authorities have bid for Government funding for charging devices, and others have not.

The report says most of the provision of charge points has been market led, with individual charging networks and other businesses such as hotels choosing where to install devices.

Charlie Jardine, founder and CEO, EO Charging, the electric vehicle charge point and charging software developer, added: “It’s great to see an 18% increase in public chargers this year with a 7% increase in available chargers in the last quarter alone.

“We look forward to seeing this number grow as electric vehicles are set to be an essential part of how we ‘build back better’ from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Whilst increasing the availability of public charge points is an important step in overcoming the barriers to EV adoption, 59% of vehicles on roads are company vehicles so businesses must carefully consider installing their own EV charging infrastructure.

“We’ve seen much evidence of businesses leading the way on this in recent months, with significant demand from our customers transforming their fleets across the UK and Europe from diesel and petrol to electric.”

At the end of last month, Richard Jones, managing director of Lex Autolease – the UK’s largest leasing company – labelled the country’s charging infrastructure “not-fit-for-purpose”.

He told Fleet News parts of the country are poorly served, limiting the wider adoption of EVs.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

 A man who stole construction machinery worth over £22,000 was caught out by the digger’s hidden tracker.

Robert Smith, 56, of Cuckoo Lane, Rampton, Cambridge, took the digger and trailer overnight between September 27 and 28, 2018.

The machinery was stolen from a substation in Wittering on the outskirts of Peterborough, but at 8:20pm on September 28, the digger’s owner was told by a telematics company that the vehicle was on the move.

It was at this stage the owner knew it had been stolen and called police. Co-ordinates from the tracker pinged in a wooded area and the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter was called to assist officers.

The helicopter captured a van being driven out of the same wooded area, leaving the stolen digger and trailer behind.

The helicopter tracked the van onto a main road and followed it until it stopped, and two men ran from the vehicle on foot.

The van then continued but was stopped not long after by officers from Lincolnshire Police, with Smith – the driver of the van – being arrested on suspicion of theft.

In police interview Smith answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

He was later served a postal requisition charging him with theft from the person of another. Smith denied the offence but changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial at Cambridge Crown Court on October 28.

He stood trial alongside two co-defendants who were found not guilty by jurors.

Smith was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on November 3, where he was handed 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 70 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,945 in compensation to the owner of the digger and trailer.

DC Jon Edwards, who investigated, said: “This was a case where officers were helped immensely by the NPAS helicopter and it highlights how useful that assistance can be.

“Despite Smith’s ‘no comment’ interview, and claims he was out poaching in the area, he was essentially caught red-handed with the stolen machinery.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Ford will begin recalling Kuga PHEV models to replace their battery packs, following an announcement in August that a potential fault could lead to fires.

Sales of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV were halted in the Summer when it was discovered that the car’s battery pack could overheat and cause a fire.

The manufacturer says it has now identified the cause of the issue and will replace the battery packs in all affected vehicles.

A statement issued by the brand said: “The root cause has been identified as a battery cell contamination issue in our supplier’s production process and we have determined that the best course of action for the safety of our existing customers is to replace the drive battery pack.”

The same issue was discovered with batteries used in some BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The recall will require the car to be in a workshop for at least one day. Ford will offer a collection and delivery service, as well as courtesy vehicle where required.

Ford says it will carry out the necessary repair to all affected vehicles between late December 2020 and March 2021.

Ford will provide extended warranties or £500 fuel vouchers as compensation to affected owners.

Drivers are advised not to charge their vehicle and not to use the EV Mode, Sport or Snow settings until the vehicle has been repaired.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Fleet operators are at the nexus of the digital and physical realms.

Whilst more business is done online than ever before, just in time logistics help keep modern supply chains lean and profitable, and form a critical part of many business operations transporting materials from A to B.

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are improving vehicle and driver safety, finding more efficient routes, and delivering great customer experiences.

These connections, which will soon benefit from 5G networks, power the modern economy but can also be exploited for unintended purposes.

Essentially, as more devices and systems connect to the internet, the greater the amount of targets threat actors (hackers) have to exploit.

Indeed, the attack surface of a modern vehicle has never been larger: infotainment systems; OBD II dongles needed for telematics and insurance; GPS navigation systems; digital key fobs; fleet management systems; dashcams etc. plus connected apps offering tracking and remote unlock services – these are all connected devices or systems that have the potential to be exploited by threat actors.

Heavy vehicles have connected more widely through satellite and cellular communications for quite some time.

Consequently, heavy vehicles currently have more avenues for remote access than light vehicles.

Coupled with a high level of electronic homogeneity within commercial trucking fleets, an adversary could easily develop viable exploits that could attack large numbers of vehicles simultaneously.

The benefits that connecting fleets brings must be balanced against cyber, safety and continuity risk to ensure a resilient business.

2019 blackhat threats on auto overtook whitehack threats for the first time (Source: Upstream).

Currently, ransomware is the preferred tactic used by threat actors with Check Point Research reporting a 50% increase in the daily average of ransomware attacks during 2020.

It’s taking its toll on businesses globally; this year the Australian logistics giant Toll Group suffered two ransomware attacks within three months and they have yet to disclose the full cost impact to the business.

Ransoms and unplanned costs can be hefty; IBM Security X-Force has reported seeing ransom demands of more than $40 million this year.

Although, that is a snip compared to the $400 million expenses Fedex faced in the first 12 months following the NotPetya malware incident in 2017.

Cyber-threats to connected fleets are not just limited to actions within a company’s own networks either, as the cyber threat may affect a manufacturer directly, and subsequently it’s customers.

With more research being conducted and the number of cyber attacks increasing, there may be additional disruption to connected fleets due to maintenance cycles and vehicle recalls.

In 2019 security researchers found Teletrac Navman, Global Telemetrics and LoJack smart tracker app APIs had authorization vulnerabilities, allowing a hacker or thief to take over the account, track individual vehicles in real time, suppress theft alerts, and extract personal data.

If a vehicle was alerted as stolen, the thief could also delete the alert and prevent any further action being taken.

One tracking device could be remotely triggered to immobilize the vehicle, stopping it from being driven (Upstream 2020). 

Threats come in other forms; using a vehicle as a weapon is a popular tactic for terrorists and extremists.

Lone actors and small cell operations don’t require large financial support when they can hire, or hijack, a vehicle and use it in an attack.

In recent years, individuals have driven vehicles as weapons into crowds of pedestrians in fatal attacks in major cities including New York, Edmonton, Toronto, London, Berlin and Nice, France.

The Global Terrorism Database recorded 12 incidents where vehicles were used as the weapon in a terrorist attack between 2015-2018 in the US alone.

There is a risk that threat actors with extreme political beliefs could utilise technology like connected vehicles to conduct an attack.

So what is being done?

Manufacturers are responding to threats by hosting bug bounty programs whereby white hat hackers try to identify any potential weaknesses.

These programs indicate a growing awareness of the vulnerabilities and potential damage, should they be exploited.

The Hackerone bug bounty platform hosts public vulnerability disclosure programs for both Ford and General Motors and shows the large number of vulnerabilities that existed before the programs launched.

Security by design principles are slowly becoming the standard for all IoT devices, yet with the myriad of devices that will be connected to the internet, let’s not forget the responsibility organisations and individuals have to ensure their devices, systems and networks are properly patched, updated and backed up safely and regularly.

Other measures can include encrypting data and systems, using multi-factor authentication (MFA) and even Intrusion Prevention Systems to prevent entry to vehicles and onboard systems being hacked.

With this type of security in place, it can also help to minimise operational risk and the business impact by including cyber insurance as part of an overall risk protection strategy.

Traditionally, cyber insurance has been an ‘add-on’ to existing commerical policies or only provided third party cover in the event of a breach, potentially leaving businesses woefully underinsured and without specialist expertise to remediate the short, medium and long-term impacts of a cyber attack.

It’s worth utilising tailored cyber insurance services as part of a comprehensive defense strategy against threat actors.

Connectivity, automation and electrification will continue to be the most dominant automotive technology trends in the next decade; Frost & Sullivan forecasts that by 2025, 55% of all trucks in North America will be part of connected fleets.

As technology advances, the potential for vulnerabilities to be exploited also grows, so fleet owners and operators need to consider the implications; how can they control cybersecurity risks while still embracing innovation?  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News