LeasePlan, together with leading global research firm Ipsos, today released the Car Data and Privacy edition of its annual Mobility Monitor.
Traffic management system concept. Digital transforamtion.
The annual survey reveals that car data privacy is a top concern for UK drivers, with half of respondents saying they are worried about what data is being collected from their cars and by whom.
The key findings of the Car Data and Privacy edition of the Mobility Monitor are:
- Car data concerns are top of mind for many respondents in the UK, with half (50%) being worried about who owns the data collected from their vehicle. In addition, 49% are worried about personal data being left in cars after they are returned/sold, while 44% are worried about their data being shared with third parties
- A large majority of UK respondents are willing to share data (anonymously) if there is a benefit to their driving experience. This is especially true if sharing data would: reduce traffic congestion and journey time (68% of respondents willing to share), reduce fuel and maintenance costs (68%), reduce vehicle emissions (68%), or improve car performance (63%)
- Anonymity is a key requirement for drivers to share their data. In all the above cases, almost half of UK respondents would only be willing to share car data if it was done anonymously
The Mobility Monitor is an international survey of over 4,000 drivers across the UK and 16 different countries into the big issues facing drivers and the automotive industry.
Alfonso Martinez, Managing Director of LeasePlan UK, said: “The findings of LeasePlan’s latest Mobility Monitor shine a light on the duality of car data. On one hand, you have a growing concern around anonymity and the potential misuse of personal driver information; on the other, there is an acknowledgment that data-generated insights drive innovation and lead to greater efficiencies within fleet management and the driver experience.
“Going forward, we need to ensure a greater level of transparency around how data is being used by the industry and how this impacts the driver. Most drivers have very little understanding of what’s being monitored and to whom this information is being sent. We also need to cultivate more collaborative relationships between all involved parties – namely manufacturers, mobility service providers and drivers – as this will encourage and facilitate further growth and innovation within the sector.”
Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan, said: “The ‘data hunger’ of our ever-smarter cars is a real concern for drivers. The auto industry therefore needs to step up and make it much easier for drivers to understand what data is being collected and for what purpose. Drivers also need a simple opt-out solution – if they want to delete their personal data, they must be able to do that.
In our view, we can only give drivers true peace of mind if we create a ‘neutral server’ for car data. This would aggregate car data anonymously, and give drivers much more control over what data is shared, preventing any one company from having a data monopoly.”
The Car Data & Privacy edition of this year’s Mobility Monitor can be downloaded here: https://www.leaseplan.com/corporate/news-and-media/newsroom
