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With the Internet of Things, mobile technology and now, the rise of the Connected Car, more data than ever is collected on our movements and activities.
In fact data privacy is now such a pressing issue that it has been designated its own national day. January 28 was officially International Data Privacy Day, designed to raise awareness about privacy and data security as our lives become increasingly digital.
From a driver's perspective, it raises important questions about who owns this information and the rights they have for their privacy. The BVRLA is campaigning for vehicle owners and drivers to be in charge of how their data is used and wants the Government to support the introduction of open, standardised and secure platforms to enable this to happen.
It's been predicted that connected cars, essentially Wi-Fi enabled, will represent 80% of vehicles sold in 2016. Of course, fleets have been realising the benefits of increased technology in the form of telematics for many years; promoting better and safer driving, cutting fuel bills, helping with employee duty of care obligations and in some cases, reducing costs in insurance and servicing.
But despite the obvious benefits there has been reluctance by some businesses to install telematics in their fleet vehicles because of the issues surrounding personal privacy.
Research by RAC Business found that 40% of businesses faced staff concerns about the possible intrusion into their privacy associated with 24-hour tracking systems. And one-in-five had taken the decision not to use telematics as a direct result of those concerns.
It is easy to understand why people would not want their every movement tracked and recorded when they are not at work, after all a vital part of the work-life balance is being able to switch off when not 'on duty'.
So that is something we're hoping to address with the recent launch of RAC MyDrive, which is a device that allows drivers to turn off telematics when they are not driving for work.
That makes it much more straightforward to address any issues employees may have about their personal privacy being intruded upon when they use their company car for personal trips on weekends or evenings, which is one of the benefits of owning a company car. It also addresses the issue that thousands of people who use their own car for business journeys face as part of the grey fleet, of ensuring work use is clearly defined.
Really the key to all of this is communication. Drivers will likely be happy for data on their journeys to be shared during the working day if it helps their managers know they're safe and well. It's important to talk to drivers and explain to them the firm's position as well as the advantages that the technology offers to all concerned. Gone are the days when telematics was simply a tracking device and a rather crude way to monitor vehicle movements. Today telematics technology is about enabling businesses to operate more efficiently, providing security and supporting duty of care obligations for their staff and using data cleverly to make better decisions about fleet management.
In today's highly competitive market, any small advantage can make all the difference when it comes to managing an efficient fleet of company cars. Vehicle connectivity can undoubtedly help, but the rights of drivers equally need to be considered, whether it's International Data Privacy Day, or indeed any other day that they're on the road.
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