Features
28 Mar 18

New report highlights terror risk faced by rental vehicles

The danger of rental vehicles being used as weapons of terrorism, and how to deal with this threat, is addressed in a new report commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA).

The report highlights a number of areas where the association and rental companies hope to work with law enforcement agencies and government policymakers to reduce the terror risk.

Low-tech, lone agent attacks have seen terrorists use rental vehicles to run over pedestrians in Nice, Berlin and London, killing or injuring hundreds of innocent people.

The ‘pay-as-you-go’ nature of daily rental makes hire vehicles vulnerable to this type of attack, and threatens the convenience of a service which involved about 15.5 million transactions last year in the UK.

Among the recommendations in the new report are calls for an industry-led compulsory national accreditation scheme that would require all vehicle rental businesses to meet minimum standards in terms of their counter-terrorism security practices and procedures.

The danger of rental vehicles being used as weapons of terrorism, and how to deal with this threat, is addressed in a new report commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA). The report highlights a number of areas where the association and rental companies hope to work with law enforcement agencies and government policymakers to reduce the terror risk. Low-tech, lone agent attacks have seen terrorists use rental vehicles to run over pedestrians in Nice, Berlin and London, killing or injuring hundreds of innocent people. The ‘pay-as-you-go’ nature of daily rental makes hire vehicles vulnerable to this type of attack, and threatens the convenience of a service which involved about 15.5 million transactions last year in the UK. Among the recommendations in the new report are calls for an industry-led compulsory national accreditation scheme that would require all vehicle rental businesses to meet minimum standards in terms of their counter-terrorism security practices and procedures. The BVRLA is also asking the government to support its negotiations with insurers to provide a fair way to pool the risk associated with hire vehicles being used as weapons of terror. But the association is also keen to avoid any measures that cause undue disruption to businesses or customers, or that involve significant extra costs. Rental companies also need to step-up their training of staff in counter-terrorism awareness, said the BVRLA, and it wants its members to publicise their support for the national counter-terrorism campaign. It has also pledged that the vehicle rental industry will work with government and law enforcement organisations in embracing new security technology and sharing best practice with other countries and industry sectors. BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney, said, “We are committed to working with different parts of government and law enforcement to debate and develop strategies to help detect and mitigate the risk from terrorism. “Through effective collaboration, we will develop more effective ways of sharing information, embrace new security technology and will share best practice with other countries and industry sectors.”

The BVRLA is also asking the government to support its negotiations with insurers to provide a fair way to pool the risk associated with hire vehicles being used as weapons of terror.

But the association is also keen to avoid any measures that cause undue disruption to businesses or customers, or that involve significant extra costs.

Rental companies also need to step-up their training of staff in counter-terrorism awareness, said the BVRLA, and it wants its members to publicise their support for the national counter-terrorism campaign.

It has also pledged that the vehicle rental industry will work with government and law enforcement organisations in embracing new security technology and sharing best practice with other countries and industry sectors.

BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney, said, “We are committed to working with different parts of government and law enforcement to debate and develop strategies to help detect and mitigate the risk from terrorism.

“Through effective collaboration, we will develop more effective ways of sharing information, embrace new security technology and will share best practice with other countries and industry sectors.”

Authored by: Jonathan Manning
Financial Models
Europe
United Kingdom