The ADLV (Association for Driving Licence Verification) www.adlv.co.uk has reported a surge in online commercial checking from vocational fleets following the abolition of the paper driving licence counterpart in July this year. Despite a slight reduction in the growth rate of checking immediately prior to the change, the rate of increase for the months of July and August over the prior year, were 38.0% and 37.3% respectively. The ADLV forecasts that the total number of checks carried out by members this year will now exceed 2 million.

The ADLV believes that the scale of the increase in the rate of growth is also a reflection of its campaign to encourage electronic checking as a fundamental best-practice for fleet management. In addition, the numbers also reflect the association’s recent ‘road safety’ campaign. This urges fleet managers to increase the frequency of checks from annual to quarterly in order to identify high-risk drivers, such as those with mobile phone convictions. One ADLV member reports that since the organisation’s launch, the average number of checks per driver per annum is up nearly 30% from 1.1 checks to 1.4 checks per driver. In response to the figures the ADLV is planning to introduce other ‘know your driver’ options, within its checking system, which will ensure even higher standards for ‘entitlement to drive’ checking.

Commenting on the news, Malcolm Maycock Chair of the ADLV noted, “Finally, following the abolition of the counterpart, the message has got through that electronic checking is now a best-practice for those fleet managers that are keen to comply with the highest standards.

“In addition, as increased checking means that high risk drivers are spotted more quickly, there is a realisation that embracing electronic checking more fully contributes significantly to road safety. So we welcome any upswing in the figures, as this translates directly into the roads being safer for the public. Ultimately, with electronic checking facilitating the ever more extensive use of big data, we believe that organisations will be keen to gain a far greater degree of knowledge about exactly who is entitled to be behind the wheel of their vehicles. The ADLV will meet this demand with a number of announcements over the coming months.”

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Innova, a leading supplier of test equipment and diagnostic reporting for the automotive aftermarket, has more than 30 years' experience in supplying sophisticated insights on vehicle maintenance to the fleet management industry.

Innova Fleet Services will integrate a comprehensive database of common vehicle fixes into Risk's telematics platform to give drivers and fleet managers complete visibility over any issues with their vehicle. Via Risk's on-board devices (OBD) the solution will also be able to provide added value insights, such as suggestions on when vehicles need to be serviced, replacement part numbers, estimated labour times and quick links to make it easier to purchase parts directly. This will significantly improve the efficiency of the relationship between fleet and parts managers.

The Risk Technology platform will also provide fleet managers with a more effective and comprehensive solution for managing their assets, by delivering insight into vehicle locations, time spent on the road and job completion data. Driver behaviour and crash detection information can also help to improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve overall fleet performance.

Mark Packman, CEO at Risk Technology, said: "This partnership will bring the huge benefits of telematics and diagnostics data to US fleets of anything from 2 to 2,000 vehicles. By integrating parts data within the system, we're also simplifying the process of rectifying problems with individual vehicles.

"From proactively advising clients on what they should do when their vehicle has 3,000 miles on the clock, to simplifying the autoparts procurement process, our relationship with Innova will transform fleet management in the US."

Mike Fitzgerald, VP and general manager at Innova Electronics, said: "When evaluating potential partners for our new fleet management offering, Risk stood out above the others.

"Their approach is new and fresh. Unlike the multitude of legacy fleet systems, Risk worked with us to develop an intuitive system with contemporary elements like infographics. More importantly, the system is flexible and customisable, allowing us to incorporate in-depth diagnostics and special features only offered by Innova."

About Risk Technology
Risk Technology works with major international brands to seize the opportunities being created by next generation telematics.

The data generated from connected vehicles is helping firms to operate more efficiently and increase profits. The information supplied is also enabling brands to engage with motorists in new ways.

Armed with sophisticated insights, provided by Risk's patent protected technology, companies can take positive actions that boost customer loyalty and generate new revenue streams.

The team has a huge amount of experience rolling out these telematics solutions across a range of global markets.

Key sectors include:

• Insurance
• Fleet and lease management
• Breakdown service / roadside assistance
• Auto parts retailers
• Telecommunications
• Emergency Services

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The ADLV (Association for Driving Licence Verification) www.adlv.co.uk is calling for fleet managers to make more regular checks on driver licence entitlement. This would include quarterly checks for vocational fleets as a norm and more frequent checks where driver risk profiles warrant it. Currently, most organisations, including those with vocational fleets, work on just an annual or bi-annual basis. By establishing industry standards based on driver risk profiles, the ADLV believes that fleets will be able to more quickly identify high-risk groups, such as those with mobile phone misuse and other offences. In using the latest commercial licence checking systems, through an ADLV member to perform repeat checks, Fleet Managers can be sure that they have taken the appropriate action, minimised the risks to the public and boosted road safety.

More frequent checking is a straightforward process for the ADLV's members. Their commercial checks can be repeated easily without the need for renewed consent each time; as informed consent is given for a three-year period. The ADLV believes that the highly practical nature of this approach compares favourably to the DVLA's ‘Share Driver Licence' option, which requires employees to submit their personal details for each check. This, claims the ADLV, could be disruptive in the workplace where it relies on manual processes to ensure drivers are checked frequently.

The ADLV's Deputy Chair Richard Payne-Gill believes that a move to more regular checking will support both risk reduction and road safety. He notes, "Previously annual or bi-annual checks were deemed to be sufficient. However, the latest checking systems, available through ADLV members, deliver more regular checks and are already being followed by some major fleets. In our view more frequent automated commercial checking varied according to driver risk profile, will establish it self as the best-practice for all professional fleet managers."

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Taipei, Taiwan - The GSMA's largest-ever mobile industry event, Mobile World Congress Shanghai (MWC), attracted more than 35,000 attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and press/analysts from all over the world. During the event, Billion's outdoor fixed wireless 4G LTE CPE equipment, fleet tracking and in-vehicle telematics system were showcased by Sierra Wireless, who has announced Billion to become its official partner in Asia.

During the event, Sierra Wireless, the globally well known M2M/IoT and networking communication modules supplier, presented Billion/BEC's M2M and outdoor fixed wireless networking solutions along with the company's introduction. BEC (Billion Electric Corporation) Technologies was named as one of the top selling outdoor fixed wireless LTE brands in the U.S.A in 2015. Billion's LTE ODU delivers superior 4G LTE performance by featuring maximum wireless service coverage and ultra broadband transmission speed. Integrated the ruggedized and IP67 industrial-grade designs, Billion's fixed SIM embedded M2M wireless router is distinctively water and dust proof and can serve under extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 60°C.

Besides, Billion provides a comprehensive network solution serving a variety of mission critical and vertical markets, especially in telematics and fleet management, emergency and public safety, and industrial and energy automation. Billion launched an innovative M2M router series, embedded with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and Dual LTE/ SIMs, provides a total remote monitoring system to control vehicles and enhance the streamline operations among public safety agencies. Cooperating with the BEC's Fleet Management cloud-based platform, this M2M series can monitor vehicle status to detect slowing or stopping motions, fatigued driving, and largely reduce the responding time through the provided onboard diagnostics (OBD).

"We deliver secure, reliable wireless connectivity to places where were not possible to reach with the traditional infrastructure. Utilizing the 4G LTE and broadband technologies, we offer multimedia communications, such as surveillance, streamlining videos, and real-time voice exchange to help our partners speed up their decision-making process with the visual and audio collaborations", said William Lee, Senior Product Line Manager at Billion's Networking Division. "Leveraging 4G LTE's broadened wireless coverage, Billion's 4G LTE M2M series can deliver scalable connectivity to rural geographic locations, rough terrains, and harsh environments without interruptions."

About Billion
Billion Electric Co., Ltd. (www.billion.com, taiex: 3027) is a global ICT solution and networking CPE provider. We are motivated to create the innovative technologies to enhance live and the environment through placing ourselves as a sustainable corporation and a service-oriented partner. Billion's over 900 employees are committed to providing the optimal values and the quality of products to our current and future customers.

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Beer by-product turned into biofuel

New Zealand beer brand DB Export is announcing it is on a mission to harness the power of drinking beer to save the world. In a New Zealand first, DB Export is attempting to make the country's first ever commercially viable biofuel from the by-products of brewing beer. By creating this biofuel, which emits less carbon than petrol, Kiwi men can save the world by doing what they do best – drinking beer.

“DB Export Brewtroleum”, will be made using ethanol derived from the yeast leftover after they finish brewing DB Export. That means every time someone drinks DB Export they’re helping to create an environmentally-friendly petrol that can be used in any modern car that runs on petrol.

Research and testing by DB Export and independent experts found that ethanol could be stripped from the yeast slurry of the brewing process and distilled to produce high-grade bioethanol, a more environmentally friendly fuel created by blending 10% ethanol and 90% premium 98 octane petrol.

Bioethanol created from a by-product of dairy production is already available in select outlets around New Zealand and the world, and is proven to be more environmentally-friendly than normal petrol as it emits less carbon. Now DB Export has joined the crusade and the first sample of bioethanol will be ready for testing in a few weeks.

Head of Domestic Beer Marketing at DB Breweries, Sean O’Donnell said, “Brewtroleum was an idea sparked over a few beers, which presented the opportunity to take the natural by-product of the brewing process and turn it into something that can genuinely help the environment. What’s more, men can help to save the world just by doing what they already love – drinking DB Export.”

O’Donnell adds that Kiwis have a reputation for being “an ingenious bunch and have been coming up with “ideas over beers for years”. DB Export Brewtroleum is an example of one of these clever ideas.

“The Brewtroleum experiment is a way for DB Export to continue the legacy of its Kiwi founder, Morton Coutts, an entrepreneur and “ideas man”. Coutts was renowned for not just having smart ideas, but “doing the doing” and turning them into reality. From inventing a full-functioning x-ray machine at the age of 12, to creating a world-first brewing process, Coutts is the epitome of the “Kiwi doer”.

Following the first sample, the next step will be demonstrating Brewtroleum works via a live pilot, which then will lead to an ambitious world first: making Brewtroleum the first commercially-viable biofuel made from beer. If successful, DB Export Brewtroleum will be made available through a major fuel retailer.

DB Export Brewtroleum is the first in a series of ingenious “ideas over beers” that DB Export will roll out in the coming months as part of its “Made by Doing” campaign
(Made by Doing TVC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGrQ0P3T8Q)

The Brewtroleum experiment – the statistics:

• DB Export, with the help of its’ distiller partners, is setting out to produce an initial release volume of over 30,000L of ethanol derived from beer by-product which will be mixed with normal petroleum to create Brewtroleum by July 2015
• Over 58,000 litres of yeast slurry (product leftover from the natural beer brewing process) will go in to the production of Brewtroleum
• DB Export has been testing and refining the Brewtroleum product since February 2015
• Biofuel, such as Brewtroleum, can reduce carbon emissions by 8%[1]
• Biofuel is great for combustion engines with no performance issues vs. normal petrol
• The yeast slurry is usually distributed to local famers for stock feed and other manufacturers and is

Independent study conducted by CAS highlights the value of telematics technology in reducing the risk of car accidents and insurance claims

A research study undertaken by driver behaviour experts CAS for Risk Technology, has revealed that data collected by automotive telematics devices can accurately predict the likelihood of a motorist having an accident.

CAS carried out the research with 1,291 drivers who were insured by a leading UK insurer and had telematics devices installed in their vehicles. The study examined how driver behaviour affects the chance of a driver being involved in an incident – and, therefore, the potential to make an insurance claim.

CAS concluded that the Risk Technology driver scoring methodology provides very good prediction of a driver’s potential to be involved in accidents than other technologies on the market because of the factors it takes into consideration and the way it does this.

The study investigated the accuracy of five key indicators used by Risk to predict driver behaviour, including: speed of driving, braking force, acceleration speed, whether or not the drive is taking place on an urban road, and or whether it is day or night time.

This information was collected from each driver’s telematics device and compared against the cause of any crashes or damages recorded by the insurer. The main reasons recorded for accidents included a lack of hazard perception, poor basic steering skills, loss of control of the vehicle, and not maintaining a safety envelope (the safe space around the car from other vehicles).

Different crash types are best predicted by different combinations of factors. For example, driver’s braking score was shown to be a very good predictor of loss of control, and is currently the most useful indicator to insurers for predicting this type of crash.

The current scoring methodology already predicts a high proportion of drivers who will be involved in crashes. CAS expects this prediction rate (the ability to identify individuals likely to be involved in crashes) to increase significantly when Risk introduces planned improvements to measure tailgating and poor lane discipline and even more sophisticated driver profiling.

Mark Packman, CEO at Risk Technology said: “This research proves that Risk Technology’s methodology and algorithms work to produce high accuracy predictions for insurance claims and thus help to improve the safety on our roads by reducing crash risk.

“We’re proud that independent research has shown what our insurance partners know already – that our driving performance scores correlate significantly with both the likelihood of being in a crash and the length of time that an individual goes without making a claim on his or her insurance.”

Each of the drivers used in the research had been driving with a telematics device installed in their car for between one month and three years. Of these policy holders, 104 people already had claims made against them for crashes for which they were at fault.

To download a copy of the report on these findings please click here: http://www.risktechnology.com/case-studies/independent-evaluation-of-the-risk-technology-driver-scoring-methodology/.

Notes for editors:
About Risk Technology
Risk Technology works with major international brands to seize the opportunities being created by next generation telematics.

The data generated from connected vehicles is helping firms to operate more efficiently and increase profits. The information supplied is also enabling brands to engage with motorists in new ways.

Armed with sophisticated insights, provided by Risk’s patent protected technology, companies can take positive actions which boost customer loyalty and generate new revenue streams.

The team has a huge amount of experience rolling out these telematics solutions across a range of global markets.

Key sectors include:

• Insurance
• Fleet and lease