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NEWS

Green TrumpsTop Trumps first

launched in Britain 30 years

ago is going green. A new

limited edition version of

the iconic school play-

ground game has been

produced that includes only

eco-friendly vehicles.

Open all hoursNational Car Rental has

created an out-of-hours

database that provides

immediate confirmation

of vehicle availability for

business rentals required

outside normal branch

opening hours.

Reflex planReflex Vehicle Solutions has

announced a multi-million

pound expansion plan to

double its size within 36

months. The 7.5 million

investment will be made via

a funding facility provided

by Alliance & LeicesterCommercial Bank, which

has also arranged a 10-year

treasury facility to protect

against adverse fluctuations

in interest rates.

Improve safetyFleet managers can now

record their drivers

behaviour during an

accident, helping to

improve safety and

performance. The

RoadScan Video Event

Data Recorder records

live footage of driverjourneys. Sudden

changes in acceleration

and braking are

recorded, as well as the

speed and location of the

vehicle.

Carbon neutralZenith Vehicle Contracts

has been officially certified

as carbon neutral. The

company hired consultants

from Carbon Footprint to

calculate its CO2 footprint

and recommend ways this

could be offset. As a result,

Zenith has initiated a tree-

planting programme locally

in Yorkshire.

IN BRIEF

www.fleetnews.co.uk 13.12.07 5

Fleet cars are at risk

of being impoundedBY DANIEL ATTWOODThe details of tens of thousands of

vehicles insured under fleet poli-

cies are missing from the Motor

Insurance Database (MID).

As a result, drivers of these

vehicles are at much greater risk

of being stopped under suspicion

of driving without insurance.

The Motor Insurers Bureau,

which operates the database, said

thousands of fleet policies are not

up to date. At the end of Novem-

ber, there were more than 26,000

unpopulated policies on the MID,

that is those with no vehicle

details attached, explained a

bureau spokesman.

This is despite fleet managers

and their insurers being legally

obliged to provide details of all

vehicles on their policies so they

can be added to the database.

The police have direct access

to the database and use it to iden-

tify uninsured vehicles.

During the festive season, there

will be additional police road

checks as well as the usual auto-

matic number plate recognition

(ANPR) cameras, which alert offi-

cers if a passing vehicle is not on

the database.

If your vehicles are insured

but not on the MID, then your

drivers are at risk, said Neil

Drane, head of MID operations at

the Motor Insurers Bureau. And

even if your no-drink-and-drive

policy has been a complete

success, your drivers may still

find themselves failing to make

that crucial Christmas delivery

while your vehicle sits in a police

pound.

So far this year, the police have

carried out more than 30 million

checks of the database and have

seized a record 120,000 vehicles

at the roadside. While the MIB

says it is unlikely that fleet drivers

will have their vehicle seized

because their details are not on

the insurance database, they are

still running that risk.

Like drink-driving, uninsured

driving is unacceptable under any

circumstances, but the increased

police presence on our roads over

the Christmas period is a very

timely reminder to fleet managers

to make sure every single one of

their vehicles is on the MID

today, said Mr Drane.

[email protected]

If your fleet cars are not on the

insurance database your drivers

run the risk of being stopped

A new insurance policy designed

for leasing companies has been

launched but could end up

costing fleet managers.

Lease Protect, developed by

Reassure, is aimed at manufac-

turers, fleet insurers, leasing

companies and other asset

owners. It insures the condition

of leased vehicles on their return,

based on either manufacturer or

British Vehicle Rental and

Leasing Association standards.

If a vehicle is returned

damaged, it will be repaired andthe costs covered by the insur-

ance. One car manufacturer has

already made the insurance

mandatory for all its lease

customers while another is

considering following suit.

While this means lease compa-

nies may be obliged to take out

the extra cover, many will pass it

and the cost on to their fleet

operator customers. The cost

averages around 15 per vehicle

per month, although lease

companies can add a margin.

Reassure director John

McLean said: Fleets benefit as

they have fixed costs in advance

and know the condition the

vehicle should be returned in,

avoiding end-of-lease disputes.

Fleets mayfoot bill for

new policyTwo leasing companies have

become the latest names to beadded to theFleet News

Charter for Fleet Suppliers.

Grosvenor Contracts Leasing

and Lloyds TSB autolease have

both been nominated by their

fleet manager customers for

their commitment to service.

Each company received

several nominations. Jenny

Thomas, PA to the board of

DDD in Watford, which runs 42

vehicles, said: Although we are

only a small company, Grosve-

nor Contracts Leasing gives us

the attention and service that

would be expected if we ran amuch larger fleet.

Named contacts

respond promptly toour questions, queries

and requests. They are

a very friendly and

efficient company. I highly

recommend them.

Lloyds TSB autolease was

nominated by Lisa Jones, supply

chain analyst at ABB, which

operates 680 vehicles. Whether

it is customer services,

transport, accident management

or reception whichever

department you deal with

Lloyds TSB autolease is always

professional and courteous, she

said. We have worked withthem for a number of years and

their dedication and commit-

ment to our account has neverceased. Its staff are friendly and

always a pleasure to deal with.

Details of further nominations

will be listed on theFleet News

website in the coming weeks.

Launched at the 2006 Hit for

Six Conference, the Charter for

Fleet Suppliers sets out the

basic standards fleet suppliers

expect from any supplier that

deals with them.

Fleet decision-makers help to

promote best practice by

naming suppliers which they

feel meet these standards.

Log on to www.fleetnews.co.uk

for details.

Leasing companies join Charter

Van drivers have been warned

about the increased risk of

robbery in the run-up to

Christmas.

The Freight Transport Associa-

tion (FTA) and insurance

company Norwich Union said

additional drivers, hired-in

vehicles, as well as new rosters

and routes, all provide opportuni-

ties for theft.

Bill Pownall, motor risk

manager for Norwich Union, said:

As more goods are moved across

the country to cater for the pre-

Christmas demand, criminals are

on the lookout for easy pickings

from lorry trailers and other

commercial vehicles.

A number of recent incidents

have been reported, including

attempts to pick up returns from

retail premises, where criminals

are turning up with fake paper-

work providing authorisation for

collection.

A driver being distracted so

that his vehicle can be stolen is

another problem, as is the occa-

sional vehicle jacking, said Mr

Pownall. Although events such

as this are rare, it underlines the

fact that drivers need to stay alert

for their own safety, as well as the

security of their loads.

When temporary staff are used,

it is advised that effective driver

vetting and licence validation is

essential.

Drivers warned over robbery risk

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NEWS


Fleet News Europe is sponsored by

www.bca-europe.com

www.fleetnewseurope.com

FleetNewsEurope

How Green isyour Fleet?

BY DANIEL ATTWOOD

Side-swipe crashes involving

foreign HGVs that change lanes

and strike a vehicle travelling

alongside have been significantly

reduced following a trial of new

window-mounted lenses.

There was a 59% reduction in

such accidents following the

distribution of 40,000 Fresnel

lenses to left-hand drive trucks

entering the UK from the Dover

ferry port.

The Highways Agency will now

distribute a further 90,000 lenses

at major ports in both England

and France.

Many drivers here dont

realise that left-hand drive lorries

cant easily see a car overtaking

them on the right, such as on a

motorway, said road safety

minister Jim Fitzpatrick. This

has resulted in more than 400

side-swipe incidents in 2006 alone.

As well as being dangerous these

incidents cause delays and

congestion.

All trucks have a blind spot

alongside the cab on their passen-

ger side. This is a particular

problem for left-hand drive trucks

operating in the UK when they

change lanes to overtake.

Fresnel lenses offer those

drivers a wider field of vision

through the passenger window.

This work sits alongside a

wider initiative to improve the

safety of overseas vehicles using

UK roads. An extra 2 million of

funding has been announced and

last summer the Department for

Transport confirmed measures to

target overseas hauliers who

break the law. They now face on-

the-spot penalties and having

their vehicles immobilised.

Nestl Waters Direct has

stepped up its community road

safety commitment across

Europe.

The company has already

implemented several safety

initiatives in its European

markets, including the

introduction of an online driver

safety program.

Now the focus is on commu-

nity road safety following the

launch of an online road safety

board game. The company is

adapting and rolling out the

game for use by schools.

By targeting schools across

Europe, the partnership aims to

educate young people in key

road safety issues in an

engaging and informative way,

as well as fostering international

relations.

Participants are required to

complete journeys totalling

1,000km around an online board

with the objective of building up

as many safety points as

possible by answering questions

correctly.

Fall in foreign

HGV accidents

New Nestl initiative targets schools

Side-swipe accidents involving foreign HGVs have fallen by 59%

Calls made to increasebiofuels green credentialsBY KEITH NUTHALL

Concerned over the sustainability of biofuels, the European Parlia-

ments environment committee has called for European Union (EU)

rules to be established to insist that biofuel production is environmen-

tally sound.

The call was made in amendments tabled to proposed reforms to

the EU Fuel Quality Directive, aimed at reducing CO2 production by

ensuring fuel formulation involves less CO2 being generated upon

combustion.

The committee has proposed amendments so that emissions are

reduced by at least 2% ever y two years from 2012 to 2020.

But crucially, the committee also wants greenhouse gas emissions

created by the manufacturing and distribution process of fuels

especially biofuels taken into account, so that pollution reductions

through formulation are not counteracted by problems such as the

clearing of rain forest for feedstock production. Its amendment says

that the greenhouse gas reduction formula should take into account

CO2 equivalents emitted due to the extraction and production

process, transport, distribution and changes of land use.

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Leeds have

developed a way to turn by-product sludge created by the production

of bio-diesels into hydrogen-rich gas. The process mixes biodiesel

production waste with steam at controlled high temperatures,

separating it into hydrogen, water and carbon dioxide with no

residues.

A European Court of Justice order could force the Irish government

to improve and expand its mandatory training programmes for

professional passenger and goods vehicle drivers. The European

Commission has asked judges to rule that Irelands current training

system does not meet the safety standards required by the EU

directive on training professional drivers.

Ireland faces training order

Road money for BulgariaBulgarias road system is to be raised from its current poor and

congested standard following a1.6 billion investment from the

European Commission. New motorways will be built and existinginternational routes upgraded, such as the Vratza-Botevgrad, Struma

and Maritza motorways. The money will also improve Bulgarian

railways and inland waterways, reducing road congestion.

The European Parliaments indus-

try committee has proposed a

special derogation from the antici-

pated European Union carbon

dioxide cap, thus allowing cars

with special safety features to

emit more CO2.

It argues additional safety

equipment can be heavy, forcing

cars to emit more carbon dioxide

to attain their standard perfor-

mance.

MEPs said they had special

concern about legislation forcing

manufacturers to fit certain safety

equipment.

As a result they are calling for a

system that allows car manufac-

turers to emit additional CO2

(because of) legally binding safety

measures.

Safety features may earn cars CO2 reprieve

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Ultimately, money

cant buy you

happiness. But

lets face it, if you

were wallowing in

piles of cash, such a maxim

wouldnt stop you trying.

It certainly hasnt prevented

wealthy buyers from throwing

money at their cars in an attempt

to enjoy them that little bit more.

Spending big money on expen-

sive motors is all well and good,

but the devil is in the detail. And

those with big wallets are usually

sticklers for detail. That means

they have a keen eye for the little

extras the type of wood in the

dash, the colour of upholstery,

the optional extras. And theyll

pay to get what they want.

Even at the most basic level,

the more prestigious cars of

today arent shy in demandingcash. A Maybach 62S, without

options, will set you back

345,687 (plus a 567 delivery

charge), while Rolls-Royces

extended wheelbase Phantom is

306,437 in its simplest form.

Not all are quite so pricey, of

course a Bentley Arnage RL is

just 196,349. But before you

think to yourself hey, Ive got a

spare 200k, take a quick look

through the options list. No-one

with 200 grand to splash on a car

goes for the base spec.

Sticking with the Arnage RL

you will, of course, want the best

sound system that Bentley offers,

complete with surround sound.

That will add 11,295 to the bill.

And when being chauffeured

long distances, Sir will need a

DVD and TV to amuse him

13,960 please. And perhaps a

drink? A slim division drink

console will hike up the bill by a

not-inconsiderable 23,815.

Moving on to the Maybach, it

would be very common of one to

share space with the driver, so

youll simply have to order a

retractable partition screen with

two-way intercom a steal at

23,780. That makes Rolls-Royces seat coolbox seem a

giveaway at just 3,300.

Once you leave the car, youll

need to carry your belongings in

style. Wait, how foolish of me

youll want someone else to carry

your belongings in style. How

about some luggage to match

your new Maserati? Quattroporte

customers can specify a five-

piece luggage set for 2,879.

You dont have to rely on the

manufacturers for options and

nor, in fact, do you need to buy a

horrendously expensive car to

spend vast amounts on extras.

Modifying company Project

Kahn will turn your standard

Range Rover into a gadget-filled

haven. Just 750 will get you a

Microsoft Xbox 360 installed in

the back, and a paltry 699 will

get you a head-up display. For

60, theyll throw in a carbon-

fibre golf umbrella.

Of course, the prestige manu-

facturers would prefer you didnt

take their intricately crafted

product and have someone else

hack into it, so most offer a

bespoke service at the factory.

A spokesperson for Maybach

explains: You can have prettymuch whatever youre prepared

to pay for.

Requests to Maybach have

included the royal crests of a

Middle Eastern country

inscribed into the headrests, and

a set of clocks installed that tell

the time in seven countries. One

customer specified that he would

like his car in the same colour as

his private jet, while

another flew

his jet to Stuttgart airport to meet

Maybachs personal liaison

manager. The manager was

shown the planes leather seats

and told the car needed to be

upholstered in the same leather.

The plane took off without the

customer even leaving the cabin.

A Rolls-Royce spokesman

explains: A lot of people thatcome to us have compared it to

commissioning a piece of art

rather than specifying a car.

As far back as the 1950s, a

customer ordered his Silver

Cloud III with hot and cold

running water. He said he wanted

to use it while on camping trips.

More recently, an overseas

buyer was a particular fan of a

certain soft drink, which had a

distinctively-shaped can. Exam-

ples of the can were flown to the

UK to ensure the cupholder was

crafted to grip it properly.

A particularly fastidious

customer had his own wooden

veneers shipped to the factory so

that his new Rolls would match

his other cars and yacht.

The general upshot is, if youre

in the market for a luxury car,dont expect to get away with the

price in the window. You have to

splash the cash to carry off the

luxurious look.

And be prepared to lose a

serious amount of money. CAP

predicts the Maybach will retain

33% of its cost new after three

years and 60,000 miles thats

231,000 cash lost! The Phantom

will lose 181,000 and the Bentley

a paltry 127,000.


FANTASY FLEETS: OPTIONAL EXCESS

YOU CAN HAVE PRETTY

MUCH WHATEVER YOUREPREPARED TO PAY FOR

Paying a higher price for

those essential luxuriesLuxury car buyers are spending thousands of pounds making their vehicles truly individualBY PHILL TROMANS

Electric rear windowblinds in theMaybach cost 2,430

Bespoke optionsinthe Phantominclude a cigar humidor

Documents

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