Skip to main content

Independent service providers call for regulatory framework on in-vehicle telematics

A broad coalition of insurance, the automotive aftermarket, leasing and consumers has joined forces to release a statement voicing their concern that consumers’ interest are not being placed at the centre of discussions around the possible technical solutions to access in-vehicle data. In addition to undermining free consumer choice, the solution promoted by some stakeholders would also undermine competition, innovation and independent entrepreneurship. The members of AFCAR: Alliance for the Freedom o
December 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A broad coalition of insurance, the automotive aftermarket, leasing and consumers has joined forces to release a statement voicing their concern that consumers’ interest are not being placed at the centre of discussions around the possible technical solutions to access in-vehicle data.

In addition to undermining free consumer choice, the solution promoted by some stakeholders would also undermine competition, innovation and independent entrepreneurship.

The members of AFCAR: Alliance for the Freedom of Car Repair in Europe have been joined by Insurance Europe and Leaseurope to issue the statement.

The statement has been issued in reaction to a proposal to access in-vehicle data presented by European parts suppliers and vehicle manufacturers. This approach would channel all future communication and data access through the vehicle manufacturer’s proprietary server.

Only part of the data generated would be sent to a ‘neutral server’ and be accessible for independent operators. This solution would not allow direct communication with the vehicle and still grants vehicle manufacturers full control to decide how, when and to whom data access will be granted. The coalition believes this solution undermines vehicle owners’ right to decide who they share their data with and for what purposes.

The coalition calls upon the European Institutions to create a robust regulatory framework for an interoperable, standardised, secure and safe digital in-vehicle telematics platform, to maintain true consumer choice for all car services.

Related Content

  • May 24, 2022
    ‘How do you connect your dots with their dots?’
    Ahead of the European Congress in Toulouse, Joost Vantomme tells Adam Hill how Ertico-ITS Europe is looking to bring partners together in pursuit of smarter and more sustainable mobility
  • April 7, 2014
    America fires V2V starting gun
    Leo McCloskey, ITS America’s senior vice president for Technical Programs, talks to Jason Barnes about what the recent NHTSA ruling on light vehicle connectivity means for cooperative infrastructures in North America. In early February the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it had decided to start taking steps to enable Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication technology for light vehicles. In so doing, the many safety-related applicati
  • July 23, 2012
    Improving the positional accuracy of GNSS road user charging
    The European GINA project is intended to address and overcome many of the institutional, technical and public acceptance hurdles currently faced by satellite-based road user charging schemes. Dave Tindall and Denis Naberezhnykh, TRL, and Laure Dezes, ERF, write. Pay-as-you-drive Road User Charging (RUC), whereby demand (or congestion) is managed by applying appropriate tariffs in order to encourage drivers to make their journeys at less busy times, on less congested routes or even on different modes, could
  • January 25, 2012
    Evolving technology - debating the future of the ITS industry
    Harry Voccola talks to ITS International about where he sees the intelligent transportation industry heading