F&I Management & Training

Reducing fleet costs and improving driver safety will be high on the agenda for visitors to next week's Fleet World Fleet Show, and insurers' research centre Thatcham will be demonstrating how both can be achieved with the help of innovative new vehicle technologies.

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) has the potential to be as important a development in vehicle safety as the seat belt. With 75% of all crashes occurring at less than 20 mph, AEB can help to completely avoid these common real world accident scenarios and to mitigate many others, keeping drivers safe and vehicles on the road.

Another benefit for fleet managers is that insurers have now recognised the huge potential of these systems. As a result they have agreed to offer a reduction in insurance grouping, providing the system is a standard fit and meets the exacting standards of the Thatcham testing protocol. Whilst individual insurers will naturally make their own premium calculations, the majority of owners of qualifying vehicles are likely to see discounts in the range of 10%, which represents a very substantial saving for large fleet managers.

While developing the testing protocol, Thatcham accumulated and analysed data from around the world. In particular the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the USA ran a major study on Volvo's XC60, the first car to be fitted with AEB as standard - its City Safety system. Claims data analysis showed 25% fewer claims were made for the XC60 than other similar 4x4s showing that many lower speed front-to-rear traffic shunts were being prevented. The cost of collision claims was reduced too, with the average third party loss payment per claim some 27% lower than for all other similar vehicles.

Vehicle manufacturers have already begun to introduce standard fit AEB systems on many volume selling vehicles including the new VW Golf Mk 7, the Mazda CX-5 and 6, the Fiat 500L, as well as a range of Volvos - the V40, V60, S60, V70, S80, XC60 and XC70. At Fleet World, visitors to the Thatcham Research demonstration area will have the opportunity to test for themselves the technology's undoubted potential in preventing low speed accidents.

Working with eSafetyAware partners Bosch and RoadSafe, as part of the ‘Driving for Better Business' campaign, Thatcham will provide a range of vehicles and systems for visitors to drive and explore with experts on hand to explain the technology benefits.

DATED: 19.04.13

FEED: HA