Daily Motor News – Monday 3 March 2025

Welcome to this week’s Daily Motor News, where we bring you the key developments shaping the motor insurance and automotive industries.

One of the most pressing issues this week is the call for stronger drug-driving enforcement. Current laws require police to take blood samples, often leading to long delays before drivers face consequences. Advocates are pushing for evidential roadside saliva tests, a move that could enhance road safety and reduce risk exposure for insurers.

From 31 March new policyholder requirements in Ireland mean all drivers must provide their driver number when obtaining or renewing coverage.

Policy exclusions remain a growing concern for consumers, with a recent review finding that a third of comprehensive insurance policies do not cover a common and costly mishap.

Meanwhile, vehicle theft remains a persistent issue despite a reported 6% decline in cases last year. The latest data reveals which UK towns and cities are most affected.

On a positive note, consumer demand for new cars is surging, with Auto Trader reporting a record start to 2025. This signals potential growth in the market.

Elsewhere, a lack of driver knowledge that could impact road safety has been identified in two separate studies. The AA has found that more than half of motorists do not know what all the signs in Highway Code mean, while Leasing Operations has revealed that crucial safety features on vehicles are being ignored because drivers – particularly older drivers – do not know what they mean.

Finally, as the automotive industry faces growing environmental pressures, a number of leading companies have united to create a new sustainability standard following the planned phase-out of PAS2060. The initiative, known as ARIES (Accident Repair Industry Environmental Standard), is designed to provide a structured, measurable, and inclusive framework for reducing carbon emissions across the vehicle repair sector.

Industry leaders collaborate to develop new sustainability standard

As the automotive industry faces growing environmental pressures, a number of leading companies have united to create a new sustainability standard following the planned phase-out of PAS2060.

The initiative, known as ARIES (Accident Repair Industry Environmental Standard), is designed to provide a structured, measurable, and inclusive framework for reducing carbon emissions across the vehicle repair sector. Full story

Call to close drug-driving roadside test loophole

The government is being urged to update drug-driving legislation and allow police to take evidential saliva tests at the roadside.

Currently, if a driver tests positive at the roadside, police must obtain an evidential blood sample, which is not always possible. Even when it is, there can be a delay of up to six months before results return from the laboratory, during which time the offender remains free to drive. Full story

A third of car insurance policies DO NOT cover for this very common mishap

A third of car insurance policies fail to cover for a very common mistake made by thousands of drivers every year – and one that is getting increasingly expensive. Some 32% of comprehensive policies won’t pay out for the mishap as part of the standard policy, according to a review by a leading comparison site. Full story

Towns and cities with highest car theft rates revealed – how at risk is your motor based on where you live?

Britain’s towns and cities with the worst motor theft rates have exclusively been revealed by This is Money and MailOnline as criminal gangs continue their spree of misery on the nation’s drivers. Despite a six per cent fall in motor thefts in 2024, the 61,343 cars reported stolen to the DVLA last year was the third-highest annual tally in a decade and more than double the volume seen in 2015. Full story

Driver number required for car insurance from 31 March

All motorists looking to renew or take out a new motor insurance policy must provide their driver number from the end of the month onwards, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland. It will be an offence for any insurance provider or broker to issue a motor insurance policy from March 31, where the driver number has not been supplied. Full story

Drivers warned of the common road signs most people get wrong – do you know them?

Experts are warning drivers in the UK to brush up on their road signs, as more than half struggle with the Highway Code. Motorists are being urged to check their knowledge after the AA found that half find parts of the Highway Code difficult to navigate. Full story

Elderly drivers ‘particularly’ at risk as many drivers unaware of these buttons

Older motorists are “particularly” vulnerable on the roads, with many not utilising crucial safety features in their petrol, diesel, and electric vehicles effectively. Mike Thompson, Chief Operating Officer at Leasing Options, has suggested that the key to enhancing road safety lies in the new vehicle safety systems now installed in many contemporary cars, such as lane-keeping and emergency braking technology. Full story

New car appetite ramps up ahead of key selling month as Auto Trader reports record start to 2025

The latest data from Auto Trader points to a promising month ahead for the new car market with the automotive platform reporting a significant rise in interest from consumers for brand new cars. Visits to its new car platform increased 15% month-on-month (MoM) in February, whilst year-on-year (YoY) it jumped by a massive 23%. Full story

Making the EV transition a strategic priority

Automotive manufacturers are facing a perfect storm of international trade uncertainty, challenging manufacturing conditions and a global EV transition that’s proving tougher than expected – issues that affect the UK amid key model changeovers on factory lines. It’s not unexpected, therefore, that the latest SMMT data published this week showed a 17.7% dip in UK vehicle production in January, in comparison with a strong performance in the same month last year. Full story

Updated Chinese standards on safety requirements in the event of a rear impact

An updated version of the Chinese standard on safety requirements in the event of a rear end collision for passenger cars, GB 20072-2024, has recently been published. This updated version of the standard, which replaces the 2006 version, introduces numerous amendments to the requirements. Full story

95% of chargepoint hitches can be solved over the phone as fastest EV charging costs fall – AA EV Recharge Report

The AA EV Recharge Report for January 2025 can reveal that 95% of hitches that could put drivers off EV charging can be solved with a simple phone-call. The AA has been assisting a number of EV charging providers for the last five years, with 24/7 telephone and remote technical support for their network, processing more than 7,000 calls a month in 2024. Calls come from a variety of EV users, including first time users to the public network, to established EV owners and drivers of fleet vehicles. Full story

Aioi R&D Lab-Oxford and Natcap partner to transform biodiversity risk management

Aioi R&D Lab-Oxford and Natcap partner to transform biodiversity risk management with cutting-edge nature intelligence. Nature loss is not just an environmental challenge – it’s a financial risk that businesses can no longer afford to ignore. With climate-related events on the rise, organisations that fail to account for nature-related risks face growing regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruptions. Full story

How to correctly store lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are used to power e-bikes, electric vehicles and other portable devices that we use in everyday life. However, if stored or used incorrectly they can be extremely dangerous. Full story

IMI publishes interviews with refinish medalists

The IMI has published a series of ‘meet with’ interviews as part of its IMI Skills Competition publicity including Refinishing Gold Medallist 2024, Victoria Steele from Sinclair’s Bodyshop and Teagan Whiteman, Refinishing Bronze Medalist 2024, from Fix Auto.