LeasePlan UK to include driver pack including dash cam

Vehicle management group LeasePlan UK  is to introduce a new Driver Pack including a dashboard camera (dash cam) in its vehicles as standard. LeasePlan says it is the only vehicle leasing company in the UK to offer this pack to all drivers.

New customer research showed that 77 per cent of motorists expected dash cams to enhance driver safety. In fact, for a third of those questioned, the dash cam ranked in the top three of important items to be included in a vehicle.  The top three items overall ranked in order of importance to be included in a Driver Pack are; a first aid kit, safety warning triangle and a high visibility vest.

The new research from LeasePlan UK also reveals that the majority (95 per cent) of drivers find their Driver Pack to be useful and are reassured to know that they have everything they need with them in case of breakdown or other emergencies.

Working with its supplier vGroup International, the Driver Pack contains essential items such as a first aid kit, safety warning triangle and a high-visibility vest – all items that customers expect to be provided as part of LeasePlan’s duty of care. However, the kit also includes practical items to assist in the everyday maintenance of their vehicles, including; an ice scraper, washer fluid, and de-icer.

The new Driver Pack has been part of a bigger global LeasePlan rebrand to demonstrate how the company is putting the drivers’ needs at the forefront of the brand every step of the way.

Matt Dyer, managing director, LeasePlan UK, said: “LeasePlan is taking a step beyond the rest of the industry to enhance our commitment to driver safety.  With these new, progressive, technology-led solutions, we are proud to lead in supporting the evolving requirements of today’s driver.

LeasePlan UK’s 9 easy dash cam tips

1. Positioning – The camera should be in the centre of the windscreen and as high as possible, keeping in mind it should not intrude more than 40mm into the swept area of the wiper blades or mounted directly above the steering wheel. It doesn’t matter if you have to position it upside down as this can be edited later.
2. Distractions – To avoid the dash cam becoming a distraction, motorists should switch off the screen while driving.
3. GPS logging – A function available on some dash cams is to log where footage has been taken as well as the speed you were travelling at, which could be useful information to your insurance provider.
4. G-Sensor Sensitivity – This sensor can be used as a trigger for the camera to start recording and capture footage if it detects the impact of an accident.
5. Memory Card – To get the most out of your dash cam make sure you have at least a 16GB with a class 6 card, meaning that it will record on to the SD card at an acceptable rate as to not distort any video.
6. Video Quality – The higher the resolution the more detailed image you will get, but also the more space it will take up. Between HD (720p) and Full HD (1080p) is an acceptable resolution to set your dashcam at.
7. Clean dash – To make sure your view isn’t being disrupted by your stuffed car mascot or hanging dice make sure to keep your dashboard clear.
8. Mute – Unless you want to capture your hands-free phone call or in-car conversation, it would probably be best to mute the audio as it is unlikely be much help.
9. Test – Once you have set up your camera do a quick test to make sure you can see the road in front of you and there are no memory or storage problems.

Working with vGroup, the purpose of the redesign is also to encourage drivers to engage with LeasePlan after the delivery of their vehicle, to feel safe and secure knowing they have what they need.  To not only to keep them safe on the road, but to make their whole journey easier and more efficient by having everything within their vehicle.”

The new Driver Pack reflects LeasePlan’s ethos of putting the customer at the heart of the business. In a recent survey the reaction to the original pack was positive, with over two-thirds (69 per cent) agreeing they ‘felt cared about by LeasePlan’ when receiving the pack upon the delivery of their vehicle. With the inclusion of new items, including the dash cam, the number of customers that feel positive increased to 87 per cent stating that the new Driver Pack demonstrated how LeasePlan puts thought and care into its driver’s needs.

James Nash, vGroup managing director and Professional Racing Driver, said: “Health & safety and reducing road deaths and serious injuries is very close to my heart, and I am very passionate about improving the products in our customers’ cars. The LeasePlan roadside assistance kit is the next development in our product evolution, there are over 21,600 serious injuries and nearly 1,800 roads deaths every year and this pack development includes easy to understand icons, compartmentalisation for speed of access and communication with the end user.

The introduction of the dash cam demonstrates LeasePlan’s commitment to each and every one of their drivers providing peace of mind and capturing the unexpected.”

Recently dash cams have been rising in popularity with over 19 million drivers saying they could be using them within the year. More than just a source for viral videos dash cams help drivers to capture, review and analyse either their own driver performance or others and also carry the extra incentive of lowering insurance premium costs in some cases.