Stunning Northern Lights seen as far as Cornwall and London after solar stormis far more than a means of getting from A to B. In an age of navigation systems, hands-free phone calls and infotainment modules, millions of vehicles are silently collecting and storing copious amount of data on anything from when drivers change gear to their preferred playlists.
The result is the availability – with an amount of specialist kit and know-how – of unfathomable quantities of information about the usage of a vehicle and the personal details of its owner or occupants which is quietly transforming the ability of UK police forces to acquire evidence. A growing number of forces have the tools to allow them to access data from almost every single car out there.
They are the sort of insights which, thanks to the activities of a small number of forensic technology companies, are enabling law enforcement agencies in Britain to snare increasing numbers of criminals using systems which can download the entire data content of almost every make and model of vehicle on UK roads.
Police Scotland said its use of iVe was proof of its commitment to using the latest techniques to snare criminals. A spokesperson told: “As technology continues to advance, policing must keep pace and embrace new ways of working so that we can keep people safe from harm and detect serious criminality.”
It is a message which is percolating through the world of law enforcement and insurance investigations. According to one estimate by consultancy Verified Market Research, the value of the global digital vehicle forensics market is set to grow by 17 per cent a year to reach $847m in 2030.