From this week dsome drivers will have to have tracking devices – and cars
Motability has given a new statement on concerns that driving for too long could lead to people losing their vehicles. The scheme has this week introduced new rules for some users – with all new first time leases and those with any drivers under the age of 30 being forced to fit black boxes.
Cars will be equipped with telematics technology that monitors driving behaviour, including speed and braking patterns, generating a weekly assessment of green, amber or red. Motability says that safe motorists (those maintaining green status) could receive up to £160 annually in rewards to spend – though drivers accumulating four red assessments within a 12-month period risk being removed from the Motability scheme.
And one of the metrics which will be measured is the length of time a car is used for – and also what time of the day. Some have been concerned they could get red marks for driving for longer than 60 minutes at once – or late at night. During a trial phase in Northern Ireland from September last year, 300 vehicles were taken from disabled people for infringing the rules.
On a Reddit thread one user said: ”Motability have just changed their terms of service due to an internal insurance change. All under 30’s will now have to use their app and black box that penalises you for driving more than 60 minutes, or several times a day.”
Another added: “The curfew is in the small print of the terms and service. Your score, which is in usage, will be taken down by AT LEAST a third for driving multiple times, more than an hour, or outside of curfew. So if I have to go to uni, drop off a friend, and then go shopping, that would add up to 6 trips. If you get more than one red weekly score your lease is at risk.”
Motability has confirmed it will record and transmit a driver’s precise location, direction and current speed; journey duration; braking and cornering; mobile phone usage, including phone model and ID and operating system, while driving; and device background location via network and GPS.
In a new response Motability confirmed that ‘high usage’ in a week can trigger a red alert but insisted there is ‘no limits’ on numbers of journeys. It added that if high usage alone does trigger a red score ‘it will not impact the lease’.
It said the Drive Smart scheme, which began on April 13, ‘will not impact a customer’s lease if they are driving safely regardless of how many journeys they take, how long they drive for or at what time they drive.’
READ MORE: Motability black box rule starts today – drivers have 10 days to complete setupREAD MORE: Massive Motability scheme change as compulsory black boxes fitted from April 13
It is also worth saying that Drive Smart is a wedge that sits in the car windscreen paired with a phone app, not a black box location tracker.
A spokesperson for Motability Operations, the company that runs the Motability Scheme, said: “The Motability Scheme was created to keep disabled people mobile. Those using Drive Smart do not have limits placed on how many journeys they make, for how long they travel or at what time they drive. However, from industry data we know that these factors do contribute to the likelihood of an accident.
“ While high usage can trigger a red week in a small number of cases, where it is the only reason for a red score, it will not impact the lease. Drive Smart does not penalise vehicle use but has been designed to use telemetry data to support and reward safer driving. We continue to listen to customer feedback about Drive Smart and are continually reviewing how it works to make sure it’s as effective as possible.”
The introduction of black boxes to Motability vehicles should help counterbalance last year’s Budget – which saw the government scrap its tax exemption on Motability insurance. The scheme must now cover 12 per cent of each insurance premium, with total costs reaching approximately £300m for Motability from 1 July. The Budget also compelled Motability to withdraw ‘luxury vehicles’ from manufacturers such as Alfa Romeo, BMW and Mercedes from its listings. Chancellor Rachel Reeves subsequently told the House of Commons, “the Motability scheme was set up to protect the most vulnerable, not to subsidise the lease on a Mercedes-Benz.”#
After receiving the device, which is small enough for letterbox delivery, users will get an email explaining how to register via a smartphone app. Motability has stated: “Just so you know, you’ve got 10 days to complete setup and start using the app.”
In addition to the black box, Motability has brought in recommendations that motorists should rest every hour and attempt to limit themselves to six trips daily. Going beyond this will trigger a red score for the motorist, although it won’t impact their lease. The charity has also halved the annual mileage allowance before motorists face an excess charge.
Motorists will now be allowed to travel 10,000 miles before paying 25p on any miles driven beyond that limit. Previously, the allowance was 20,000 miles with an excess charge of 5p per mile.
Motability says its average motorists cover 7,500 miles annually and Scotland’s version of the scheme was still reviewing the cap.
How Drive Smart works Motability official advice
- Drive Smart is a telematics-based support programme, designed to help customers build safer driving habits and help reduce costs that are shared by all Scheme customers.
- It uses a small device and an app on the customer’s phone to provide feedback on driving style, including braking, acceleration, and cornering.
- It is designed to support safer driving through feedback and a rewards-based system, and not to monitor behaviour. It focuses on how safely a vehicle is driven, not where someone goes. This is an approach that is now standard across most fleet insurance programmes and offered by many retail insurers.
- Drive Smart generates a weekly score aggregating all individual trips across the week. This score, alongside the feedback, helps drivers understand their level of risk and how to improve it over time.
- A red week is triggered by persistently dangerous driving – such as extreme speeding. A single isolated incident, such as emergency braking or a red journey, will not result in a red week on its own.
- We know that many of our customers need to drive long distances to work or to medical appointments. While a red journey can be triggered by high usage, and in a small number of cases a red week, where usage alone is the only reason for a red week, we do not take action and this does not impact the lease. In this case it is specifically designed to help drivers understand the higher driving risk associated with longer/ more frequent journeys so they can, where sensible, adapt their driving e.g. by taking more breaks on long journeys. When high usage is combined with other risk factors, for example speeding or harsh braking, the risk is even higher
- The time of day also does not impact a driver’s score, unless combined with other driving events. Driving data shows that where a driving events such as speeding takes place at night, the risk of an accident is greater than during the day.
- Where a driver records a red week, both the customer and the relevant driver will receive feedback. If the driver continues to drive dangerously, despite the feedback, for two consecutive weeks, or four over the course of 12 months, then they may be removed from the Scheme.
- Drivers can earn rewards for ‘amber’ or ‘green’ scores – the higher the score the more reward points. Early data is also showing that driving behaviour improves over time among those using Drive Smart.
