Overview
- From April 13, first-time Motability leases and any vehicle with a driver under 30 must use the Drive Smart tracker that scores driving each week.
- More than four red weekly ratings in 12 months could lead to removal from the scheme, with scores based on speed, braking, smoothness, usage and phone pairing.
- In a Northern Ireland pilot launched in September, Motability withdrew 300 vehicles, citing extreme speeding including one case recorded at 117mph in a 30mph zone.
- Motability links the rollout to Budget changes that add Insurance Premium Tax to leases and VAT to advance payments, lifting average upfront costs by about £400 and pushing total scheme costs up by roughly £300m.
- Disabled drivers and advocates say mandatory monitoring is unfair and may misread adapted controls, and Motability says drivers will get warnings and can challenge readings before any lease is affected.