New research from RAC Business has revealed the major concern many businesses feel regarding their own drivers being distracted by in-car technology, especially technology arising from 'connected' cars. The research highlighted employer attitudes towards the increasing connectivity found in business vehicles, with 51 per cent of businesses worrying about the potential for their drivers to lose concentration on the road. For smaller businesses _ businesses with 100 employees or less - the figure was even higher at 55 per cent. It is generally well accepted that equipping vehicles with WI-FI technology will allow for more and better safety features. However, there are also worries that internet access whilst driving _ especially in the case of such features as receiving e-mail whilst on the road _ could lead to higher levels of distraction. More than one in three of the firms surveyed also expressed their concern at the chance of driving data being hacked, and one in five were worried about the higher level of autonomy taking responsibility away from individual drivers. The research by RAC Business also asked businesses to investigate what the firms thought in terms of the connected car technology in general. 83 per cent highlighted the potential for diagnosing engine faults, 72 per cent said they believed it could increase fuel efficiency and 67 per cent thought it could help reduce wear and tear. One concern noted was by RAC Telematics MD Nick Walker, who suggested that the level of insight fleet managers require may not be available unless a specialist diagnostics tool such as a black box is available. Mr Walker said: 'Connected vehicle technology represents an exciting new chapter in motoring but we feel businesses need to be clear about what it means for their vehicles, both in terms of safety and security, but also for vehicle management.î 'While connected vehicles will benefit from being able to communicate with each other and with the environment around them to make driving safer, it may not necessarily be the case that it will deliver real insight on engine performance statistics and diagnostics. Fleet managers require consistent data from their fleet to be able to fully manage downtime and risk.î 'As connected technology develops further in the transition to autonomous vehicles, telematics will be even more important for businesses needing to understand vehicle and driver behaviour.î
