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Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems, which automatically apply the brakes to avoid low-speed accidents, are becoming increasingly popular on new vehicles and have been recognised by safety bodies such as Thatcham as having a positive influence on accident rates. This, in turn, has had a knock-on effect on insurance premiums (they're now lower for cars fitted with AEB systems as standard) and residual values, so they're a positive development for costs as well as safety.
BusinessCar editor Paul Barker asked attendees when AEBs and other advanced safety systems would become "the next ABS" and be the norm on fleet vehicles for both cost and risk benefits.
Lex Autolease's Chris Chandler questioned the benefit of such devices and whether they would realistically boot used values: "When I did RVs, [an item of specification] didn't add anything to your RVs if you needed a £150 disc to update it. That's what a lot of fleets are asking for now - if it's got something like AEB then will a buyer know it's got it at auction?
Rupert Pontin of Glass's argued that such safety systems do add value to used cars: "Yes, it will [make the car worth more], but that will fade over time as these things become standard. Certain items will become critical and buzz options because they've been made out to be."
KeeResources' Mark Jowsey cited an example of a pharmaceutical company that bought into safety technology and saved a bundle.
"[The] company [had] reps parking in hospital car parks," he said. "They specced all the cars with parking sensors and in the second year they reckoned they'd saved three times what they paid for them [in reduced repair costs]."
Hyundai's fleet boss Martin Wilson claimed large, public sector organisations were likely to buy into such technology.
"Some larger public sector operations are more inclined to spec safety features as standard. Most have certain things on the car and think that's going to become more prevalent. Bluetooth is a given now and it's still a key area. All these types of things are becoming more accepted."
Despite the benefits, attendees also expressed concerns about the amount of standard equipment - not only safety kit - fitted to modern vehicles and how it can have a detrimental effect in some cases. They cited the grey areas caused by standard Bluetooth hands-free phone systems versus company policies and the increasing cost of repairs due to the fitment of more sophisticated systems.
Pontin highlighted the increased potential for higher SMR costs as a result of extra technology in cars: "There are incidences where a vehicle has been damaged, and while it's waiting for repair a window has been left open. Then water damage from the rain has caused subsequent damage to the interior and that has then caused electrical damage, which has written the car off."
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