motability scheme black boxes are being fitted compulsorily to vehicles driven by people under 30, leaving young disabled drivers angry and worried about loss of freedom, safety assessments and possible removal from the scheme. Motability has said the measure aims to keep prices down and keep people safe. The change follows a pilot in Northern Ireland and has already led to removals.
Motability Scheme Black Boxes: what drivers say
The devices monitor driving habits such as speed and braking, deliver a weekly score and flag repeated poor scores; more than four red ratings within 12 months can lead to removal from the scheme. Nigel Fletcher, chief executive of the Motability Foundation, said the move is driven by rising costs to the scheme after changes to tax and insurance rules and that the black box is about “keeping prices down and keeping people safe. ” He said the scheme has removed 300 drivers since the pilot began in Northern Ireland in September and that recent government changes will leave the scheme facing an extra £300m cost from 1 July.
Immediate reactions from drivers and campaigners
Actor Keron Day, an affected driver who uses a specially adapted wheelchair accessible vehicle, said: “Disabled people need to have the choice, just like everybody else. ” Day added: “If I passed my driving test aged 17, I would have 13 years of a mandatory black box. None of my non-disabled peers would have that. ” He warned adaptations such as hand controls could be misread by sensors and said: “Of course disabled people drive differently – that’s why they have adaptations. My worry is that the black box is not attuned to that…people will be penalised because of a computer. That would be totally wrong. “
Disability Action Northern Ireland, the charity that raised concerns during the pilot, said: “Some young drivers who already had the black boxes installed say the devices can misinterpret movements caused by use of hand controls as harsh braking. “
How the scheme frames the change and what it measures
Motability Operations, which runs the car scheme that lets eligible disabled people lease a new car using part of their benefit payments, has introduced a “drive smart” tracker in all vehicles driven by people under 30. The tracker captures journey data, scores behaviour including smoothness of braking and speed, and connects to an app. Fletcher warned that without changes to how the scheme is funded, costs would transfer to drivers: “A lot of disabled people won’t be able to afford that, so we’re now having to try and work out how can we make changes to the scheme that protects pricing as much as we possibly can. ” He estimated the equivalent impact would be a price rise for every driver on the scheme.
Critics argue the device reduces choice and could jeopardise livelihoods for those who rely on adapted vehicles to travel to work. Motability says the trackers also help detect misuse of vehicles.
What happens next will hinge on implementation and challenge: Motability plans to continue using the devices while emphasising pricing and safety priorities, and campaigners and charities are pressing for the technology to be adapted so that legitimate adaptations are not penalised. The debate over motability scheme black boxes is set to escalate as more young drivers receive trackers and assessments are applied across the scheme.
