All the key news in fleet…

The new legislation will affect fleets and is effective from 25 May 2018.

BVRLA seminar to cover impact of new data protection rules

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) is to run a seminar for its members advising of the impact of the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Effective from 25 May 2018, the new legislation will have a significant impact on the vehicle rental and leasing industry, according to the BVRLA, and the seminar – which takes place on 15 June at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham – will see speakers examine the purpose of the new legislation and the key changes for the future.

The BVRLA will also be tackling the issues surrounding connected vehicles and data at its upcoming Fleet Technology Congress on 5 July.

70% of respondents admitted to eating and drinking behind the wheel

Motorists taking risks multi-tasking behind the wheel

Significant numbers of drivers are driving while distracted by effectively multi-tasking behind the wheel.

The survey of 1,000 motorists, conducted this month by MyCarNeedsA.com, found that 70% admitted to eating and drinking behind the wheel, while 11% came clean to putting on cosmetics and 51% of motorists confessed to changing their satnav while driving

The research also reveals that 20% of motorists said they use their phones to make calls while driving and 6% admitted to checking social media.

The APD team

Brokers to get insight into customer satisfaction with new product

End-user fleets will be able to give feedback on the service they receive throughout the brokering process under a new product.

Said to provide a missing link, the new customer experience (CX) programme has been specifically tailored for vehicle leasing broker companies by APD Global Research and builds on the firm’s existing Voice 360 programme for vehicle fleet funders.

The service is intended to provide brokers with insights into the views of end users on the service they receive when ordering their vehicle, delivery and handover as well as vehicle servicing experiences.

The feedback also enables brokers to gauge the performance of supplier partners such as dealers, vehicle repair facilities and tyre fitters.

David Hosking, CEO of Tusker

Tusker’s David Hosking awarded for salary sacrifice lobbying

Tusker CEO David Hosking has been recognised for his work on salary sacrifice with an award from the International Auto Finance Network (IAFN).

The accolade was presented at the IAFN’s annual conference and awards ceremony, with

Colin Tourick, professor of automotive management at the University of Buckingham and co-founder of the IAFN, highlighting David’s contribution during the HMRC consultation on salary sacrifice, which he said meant the impact to salary sacrifice schemes was limited. “This has hugely benefited those in the industry who offer salary sacrifice schemes, but also many basic rate tax payers as most of the people driving salary sacrifice cars would never qualify for a company car.”

The SMMT guide looks at how many cars, vans, trucks and engines are built in the UK and where they are built.

Free SMMT guide gives latest motor industry stats 

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published its 2017 Motor Industry Facts guide, which provides the latest data on the UK automotive industry.

Available online, the 34-page gives up-to-date statistics on areas such as the fall in CO2 emissions since 2000 and how connected and autonomous vehicles will improve our society.

Over a third of respondents chose safety as the main reason to have an innovative feature on a car, compared to 2% for whether the feature looks good.

Drivers prioritise safety over design

Research from Goodyear Tyres has revealed that motorists prioritise safety over vanity, but still dream of having the latest technology.

The survey found that safety (36%) came out as the most important reason to have an innovative feature on a car, with practicality ranking second highest (34%), whilst vanity dropped to the bottom of the priority list at just 2%.

A total of one in 10 drivers claim having the latest technology in their car is of most importance to them and when asked to rank features in order of importance, 13% chose their sat nav, 4% opted for cruise control and autonomous capability and 9% admitted they couldn’t live without their Bluetooth device.