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So as well as under 30s. All completely new customers to the scheme will have to have the app, with effect from 13 April.
Cars On Motability
2009 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso
2012 Vauxhall Antara
2013 Skoda Superb Estate
2016 Seat Alhambra
2020 Seat Tarraco
2021 Ford Kuga
2024 Nissan X-Trail left in Sep 25
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Your “first” visit to a dealer must be before April 13th to avoid new to scheme requirements.
Applications placed by a dealer on or after April 13 have new to scheme Drive Smart requirements (as well as under 30 year old requirements).
(Formally those at the Eligibility stage on OLA – so any application that is filled out and posted for Motability to consider)
But most customers incorrectly call this ‘order placement stage’
When I hear or see the word drive smart it conjures up thoughts of smart motorways
As we know neither are needed and both are far from smart
Applications placed by a dealer on or after April 13 have new to scheme Drive Smart requirements (as well as under 30 year old requirements).
Where has this date come from?
This is potentially a Major Problem for those of us who employ PA’s (personal assistant’s) and say for instance, employ two over 30 and then employ a third PA who is under 30, or put on our insurance anyone under 30, meaning anyone driving our car will have to register with Drive Smart, with their mobile phone.
Now this is going to be a major change to the employment contract of our already employed PA’s, which leaves them with three choices,
1. They accept having to use their phone being connected to the Smart Drive and being constantly monitored while driving for you.
2. Resigning and leaving you short of essential care.
Or 3. Even more worrying, Resigning, leaving you short of essential care and then claiming Constructive Dismissal and suing you for changing their contract.
This could also cause you problems with your Local Council for your Self-Directed Support contract/payments for employing your own PA’s.
Did Motability never consider having a full and open consultation with their customers before all these major compulsive changes, Removing of large saloon/estate cars, so called Luxury Makes, adding Smart Drive, Vat on AP’s, Reducing Grants from Motability the charity but created by Motability Operations(for cars and disability car equipment) Reducing the amount extended leases to five years and Millage Charges and tyer reduction( sorry for the ever increasing edits, as I keep remembering even more adverse changes – do add on anything that I forgot), to pre- foresee these Major problems that they were creating for their customers, who Motability were set up to assist and help their customers to be mobile and independent member’s of society.
As I have said before my good friend who used to be our MP and a Cabinet Minister, always said he judged the strength of feeling, by how big his inbox of complaint’s was. We are not clay pigeons and need to start shooting back (not literally of course), at these people (Motability, the Government and other parties who instigated the changes)who are harming our quality of life for their own financial gain.
Your “first” visit to a dealer must be before April 13th to avoid new to scheme requirements. Applications placed by a dealer on or after April 13 have new to scheme Drive Smart requirements (as well as under 30 year old requirements). (Formally those at the Eligibility stage on OLA – so any application that is filled out and posted for Motability to consider) But most customers incorrectly call this ‘order placement stage’
Hope you’re right.
I’ve just agreed an early termination so Ive got an appointment in the morning to order the new car.
I’ve been on the scheme over a decade so the clause regarding early termination making you a “new customer” is a bit ridiculous.
Only quoting what Motability have said on their partners’ information website.
If your application is deemed to need Drive Smart from day one, you should be told at the point of application by your Dealer. OLA adds in a section to collect an email and phone number per driver; the latter of which is also checked by the phone app to ensure it’s installed on the right phone.
As I understand it after speaking with their resolutions team, their ‘fully completed last lease’ is to do with having a full term driving profile for the customer. Or that you showed on your last lease that you kept to your contract and kept their unexpected costs down.
It fits with the declared reasons why they may install Drive Smart in-life (aka mid-lease) as anything that causes the lease to have costs above those they budgeted for are potential candidates.
Or 3. Even more worrying, Resigning, leaving you short of essential care and then claiming Constructive Dismissal and suing you for changing their contract. This could also cause you problems with your Local Council for your Self-Directed Support contract/payments for employing your own PA’s.
Have you discussed this with your LA?
kezo, LA? Are you meaning Local Authority or should that have been PA. Either way, it does not currently effect me, for reasons that I do not want to disclose on here but may have done and could affect many others with PA’s
At the moment I am busy fighting with my LA who are on average taking 5 times the budget for handling peoples care, as they are giving Self-Directed Support recipients who try to employ their own PA’s, according to their own FOI figures. Which is illegal action and contrary to the SDS 2013 (Scotland) Act. This is now with the Ombudsman at the complaint review stage before it can go to a lawyer and into the public domain.
LA’s share the same powerful bullying tactics as Motability unfortunately, but unlike Motability, LA’s have to comply with the Law.
kezo, LA? Are you meaning Local Authority or should that have been PA. Either way, it does not currently effect me, for reasons that I do not want to disclose on here but may have done and could affect many others with PA’s At the moment I am busy fighting with my LA who are on average taking 5 times the budget for handling peoples care, as they are giving Self-Directed Support recipients who try to employ their own PA’s, according to their own FOI figures. Which is illegal action and contrary to the SDS 2013 (Scotland) Act. This is now with the Ombudsman at the complaint review stage before it can go to a lawyer and into the public domain. LA’s share the same powerful bullying tactics as Motability unfortunately, but unlike Motability, LA’s have to comply with the Law.
I was refering to Local Authority mate.
Good luck and hope you win 🙂
Use your 8 tyre allowance over the 3 years you have to get drive smart app. I have had 2 punctures on two tyres which kwik fit won’t attempt to fix because they are Pirelli with seal inside. It is just getting beyond a joke.
Failure to comply sounds a bit like Nazi germany about what Motability want to inflict on a paying customer? While it is physically possible to block or tamper with a Drive Smart black box device, doing so is highly discouraged and likely to result in severe penalties, including the termination of your lease agreement. Reddit +2
Here is what you need to know about blocking or tampering with these devices, particularly in the context of the Motability Drive Smart scheme:
Consequences of Blocking: If the telematics device does not receive a signal for 14 continuous days, Motability reserves the right to remove you from the insurance, which means you can no longer drive the vehicle and your lease agreement may be terminated.
Tampering is Fraudulent: Any attempt to manipulate the Drive Score—such as covering the box, disconnecting it, or blocking its signal—is considered a breach of the agreement and could be viewed as fraudulent.
Mandatory Requirements: For those under 30 or new customers, installing the device within 10 days of receipt and keeping it active is mandatory.
No Signal Penalty: If the device cannot communicate with the Drive Smart app, the system flags this as a failure to comply.
What the Box Tracks: The device monitors speed, braking, acceleration, and cornering, which are used to generate a weekly score. It does not interfere with the car’s electronics. Reddit +7
If you are experiencing issues with the app or device, it is recommended to contact the scheme directly rather than attempting to block it, as consistent “red” scores or device failures will lead to being removed from the scheme.Does the drive smart change it’s algorithm based on what type of car you drive to determine it’s score ? I mean Evs accelerate way more faster than ICE cars for example. Some EVs also have 1 pedal driving , does that effect braking scores ?
Motability will start to bring in the changes on new leases from 13 April for the first 15% of its 930,000 customer base. Then it will “review and analyse” whether to introduce it across the board.
BBC
Motability will start to bring in the changes on new leases from 13 April for the first 15% of its 930,000 customer base. Then it will “review and analyse” whether to introduce it across the board. BBC
I’ve obviously had too much chocolate for Easter, but what does “the first 15% mean”? How is that determined?
The charity I volunteer for has a “Dial-a-Ride” contract, and recently the drivers have had a very similar system to Drive Smart installed.
The hardware wedge that’s stuck to the windscreen costs basically nothing, about £20 per bus, and the software fee is about £2 per driver per month.
That’s about £72 for 3 years per driver.
I suspect Motability given the volume of cars will be pennies for both the hardware and per user fee.
We save hundreds on our bus insurance significantly more than the system costs. We don’t use it to evaluate driving styles like Motability does, just to ensure routes are followed for billing proofs and that real laws are not broken.
I have no idea how much Motability can save on insurance by having such a proactive system with the ability to remove drivers for breaking seemingly made-up rules that don’t translate into laws, but it’s probably a lot, lot, lot more.
……and if you think that those cost savings over the entire fleet are not being considered by Motability, then I have a bridge to sell you.
To me that reads as 15% are under 30 years old and new-to-scheme. Plus a few who have had it installed by breaking the fair use policies / been allowed to keep the car with a large number of at-fault insurance incidents.
aka those groups that are covered by the September 2025, and April 2026.
Motability will start to bring in the changes on new leases from 13 April for the first 15% of its 930,000 customer base. Then it will “review and analyse” whether to introduce it across the board. BBC
I’ve obviously had too much chocolate for Easter, but what does “the first 15% mean”? How is that determined?
I can only guess its new and existing under 30’s renewing their lease.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c203n6qx3ego
Firstly, I’ve read complaints on Facebook and I’d be surprised if all complaining were ‘good drivers’. It makes me wonder just how many who have been removed from the Scheme were legitimately removed because their driving was, frankly, dangerous. We’ve all seen them, people who drive like they’re entitled to all the road and to go at whatever speed suits them.
Then there’s the real case scenarios that I can guarantee I will face and would result in a red day despite my driving being rather safe. Firstly, to take my wife to work, there’s about a mile up to her work that is single land and has a number of sharp bends. I tend to slow for the predictable areas where I’d be expecting to have to stop for someone already in the narrow roads but today’s trip to collect her I encountered 2 horse boxes, one that was nearly HGV sized and occupied almost all the road in the wider sections. I stopped at the junction to let it through as there was no other choice but that stop was still rather sudden even if from a relatively low speed, the next one was as I navigated the rather bendy section where I found a 4×4 with single horse trailer on my side of the road passing pedestrians. Again I stopped rather urgently from a low speed. That’s two urgent stops in less than 3 minutes which were negotiated safely but I’d very much doubt the black box would accept.
Then there’s the journey count. Here’s a shopping trip I’ve got to face in the next few weeks, new shoes.
Home to Truro, normal journey, parking on street close to one of the shoe shops. Then, having visited that shop I get back in the car drive into the middle of the city for on street parking near other shops. After the shops near where I’ve parked the second time, I’m off to a car park, near the last shops I may need. Seeing as we only go shopping rarely, I can guarantee one of the family wanting to come with me, which means I may well have to park in all these, even if I find my shoes at the first stop. Finally, I’m going home. That’s 4 journeys just to go shopping. It could be possible that I’m taking my mum shopping, it’s nice for her to get out, but that adds 2 more journeys as I go to hers, turn the car off to go in and collect her, then the same to get her and her shopping home. Do that on a day where I’m taking my wife to work, mum to an appointment or even just having to get something from a shop at a different time, then I’m at or beyond 6 trips easily. Even a typical Friday will push my luck, drop Mrs F to work (1) later, pick mum up for weekly shop (2) go to Tesco (3) from Tesco to another shop (4) from that shop to mum’s (5) on to pick up lunch (I’ve been shopping I’m not making lunch today, it’s pasty day 😀 ) (6) Home with lunch and shopping (7) Pick Mrs F up from work (8). That’s one red day pretty much every week. I would very much doubt I’d be able to stay on the scheme beyond a month once they’ve realised I have at least one day every week where I’m making too many journeys and have potential for sudden stops every time I’m either taking Mrs F to or from work.
I can’t guarantee that everyone with a problem with the system are good drivers who have come foul of one or more of the metrics but I can say for certain that I would struggle to keep the car for 3 years with Drive Smart in use.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
That trip to the shops you describe really highlights the sillyness of the rules.
My journeys are quite atypical as well.
I have family in Northern France, so most months I spend a weekend there. Getting through Le Shuttle (Eurotunnel’s) check-in, EES, Passport and boarding requires at least 8 stops – 4 of which normally require the engine to be turned off. As I understand it Drive Smart counts a journey as an engine start-stop.
Red score at least 1 week monthly, and possibly 2 depending on what it considers a week.
More interesting would be how it treats the train; the phone is inside the car with the wedge but the Train Driver is in charge and it’s not the smoothest of things.
That’s before the issue of having meetings in central London. Good luck getting anywhere inside the north/south circular without getting a red score!
Been doing both for the last 20 years without a single accident and I’d give my lease a month if I end up with Drive Smart.
Is anyone else grossly offended by Andrew Miller, the CEO of Motability, on the BBC, telling us that they allegedly came across a Motability driver doing 117 miles per hour in a 30 mph speed limit within a road that was presumably unsuitable for driving at 117 mph, even if you were willing to exceed the speed limit. With this person also being fully aware that they were being monitored by a DRIVE SMART system on the car and on their own mobile phone, albeit with absolutely no evidence provided by Motability, even with keeping the driver’s details anonymous.
This to me imho, sounds like total Disinformation (I don’t think you are allowed to call it down right lying or call him a liar) to justify the compulsory use of Drive Smart and a disgraceful sign of total disrespect to their paying customers, who their aim should be to help.
Is anyone else grossly offended by Andrew Miller, the CEO of Motability, on the BBC, telling us that they allegedly came across a Motability driver doing 117 miles per hour in a 30 mph speed limit within a road that was presumably unsuitable for driving at 117 mph, even if you were willing to exceed the speed limit. With this person also being fully aware that they were being monitored by a DRIVE SMART system on the car and on their own mobile phone, albeit with absolutely no evidence provided by Motability, even with keeping the driver’s details anonymous. This to me imho, sounds like total Disinformation (I don’t think you are allowed to call it down right lying or call him a liar) to justify the compulsory use of Drive Smart and a disgraceful sign of total disrespect to their paying customers, who their aim should be to help.
Even if it’s true, it’s an irresponsible example for Motability to cite, as it plays right into the hands of those who label the scheme as being abused.
I doubt that Motability drivers as a whole are convicted of any more motoring offences (pro rata) than drivers in general and, if I was a betting man, I’d hazzard a guess that they are convicted less than average.
I’m not a satnav or anything so I obviously don’t know every road in the UK. BUT, what 30mph road would be suitable for any car to even attempt getting upto 117mph without it immediately ending in outright disaster? You wouldn’t need the black box, it’d be on the news due to horrific accident it would have caused surely. 😐.
On a different, but related (to the topic note), if you had a dash cam do you think I’d be right in thinking it could be used as evidence to help you if you get a warning for ‘breaking too hard’ or something, when it was clearly because you were trying to avoid someone or something?
I ‘thankfully’ won’t need the stupid black box under current rules (I’m neither new or under 30) but it does worry me slightly if it spreads to everyone given how temperamental technology like the black boxes tend to be 🫤.
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