Results from the latest LeasePlan Mobility Monitor survey have revealed that car data privacy is a top concern for UK drivers.

The Car Data and Privacy edition of the LeasePlan Mobility Monitor has revealed that half of respondents were worried about what data was being collected from their cars and by whom.

The annual international survey also found that 49% of respondents were worried about personal data being left in cars after they were returned or sold, while 44% were worried about their data being shared with third parties.

Anonymity was a key requirement for drivers to share their data, as 68% of respondents were willing to share data anonymously if there was a benefit to their driving experience, especially if sharing data would reduce traffic congestion and journey time.

The same percentage of respondents also said they would be willing to share data if it resulted in reduced fuel and maintenance costs and reduced vehicle emissions. 63% were willing to share their data if it improved car performance.

Managing director at LeasePlan UK, Alfonso Martinez, said: “The findings of LeasePlan’s latest Mobility Monitor shine a light on the duality of car data.

"On one hand, you have a growing concern around anonymity and the potential misuse of personal driver information; on the other, there is an acknowledgment that data-generated insights drive innovation and lead to greater efficiencies within fleet management and the driver experience.

“Going forward, we need to ensure a greater level of transparency around how data is being used by the industry and how this impacts the driver.

"Most drivers have very little understanding of what’s being monitored and to whom this information is being sent. We also need to cultivate more collaborative relationships between all involved parties – namely manufacturers, mobility service providers and drivers – as this will encourage and facilitate further growth and innovation within the sector.”

Tex Gunning, chief executive officer at LeasePlan, said: “The ‘data hunger’ of our ever-smarter cars is a real concern for drivers. The auto industry therefore needs to step up and make it much easier for drivers to understand what data is being collected and for what purpose. Drivers also need a simple opt-out solution – if they want to delete their personal data, they must be able to do that.

In our view, we can only give drivers true peace of mind if we create a ‘neutral server’ for car data. This would aggregate car data anonymously and give drivers much more control over what data is shared, preventing any one company from having a data monopoly.”

The LeasePlan Mobility Monitor is an annual international survey of over 4,000 drivers across the UK and 16 different countries.

You can download the Car Data and Privacy edition of this year’s Mobility Monitor here.