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- Industry experts are calling for change to make public charging safer
- Improved lighting, CCTV cameras, better signage and reliability standards should be set out in a four-point plan to improve drivers’ personal safety
- Electrifying.com teams together with WalkSafe this International Women’s Day to make sure charging is safe for everyone, regardless of gender.
Local councils and charge point operators should put the personal safety of drivers first, Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley is saying today (5 March), as calls are made for improved safety measures and signage at public charging points.
Electrifying.com is teaming together with WalkSafe - an app which allows users to alert contacts if they’re feeling unsafe while in public - to apply pressure on local authorities and charge point operators to take simple and effective steps to help users, irrespective of gender, to feel safer when charging their cars using the public charging network..
As we accelerate towards an electric future it’s crucial that charging your car is as safe, convenient and reliable as it is to fill up with fuel. While few of us will have felt unsafe at a well lit filling station with staff present, charging points are all too often found in secluded areas that are badly lit and can leave drivers, in particular women, feeling vulnerable.
Personal experience led to Ginny Buckley calling for a four-point plan, which she hopes charging point providers will commit to upholding:
- Providing good lighting at charge points, particularly those on quieter streets or in remote places, including public car parks
- CCTV to be fitted and working in non-residential locations where charge points are sited
- Improved signage to help drivers find chargers, including the adoption of what3words to pinpoint exactly where all charging locations are
- Operators to make a commitment to ensure that broken charge points are fixed and operational within a set period of time, helping to alleviate charging anxiety and avoid drivers getting stranded
Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley said:
“Sales of electric cars are on the rise, with one in five buyers making the switch in January and this means more people than ever - even those with charge points at home - are charging on the public network.
“We know that petrol stations are well lit, easily found, and reliable. Here at Electrifying.com we think that the experience of filling up your car with electricity should be no different, which is why together with WalkSafe, we’re calling on operators and local councils to put the personal safety of all drivers first.
“The UK is leading the way when it comes to electric cars, and we want to make sure that everyone - regardless of their gender - feels comfortable making the switch. Some network operators are doing a brilliant job, but others are lagging behind, so the time is right to call for these simple but effective changes to put drivers at ease and increase confidence in our public charging network.”
Co-founder of WalkSafe Emma Kay said:
“We support any measures that make our streets safer for women. We say that WalkSafe is the app that shouldn’t have to exist but sadly it’s very much needed as we have seen an epidemic in violence towards women and girls. Better street lighting and safer spaces for drivers to charge their cars is a must as more and more of us choose electric vehicles.”
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said:
“As we transition to electric vehicle driving, I am absolutely committed to ensuring everyone is safe and feels safe when charging their EV, no matter who or where they are.
“We’ve committed £1.3 billion to support the rollout of charge points across the UK and are working with local authorities to create an inclusively designed public network that works for everyone. As part of this, we’ve recently held consultations to seek the public’s views on improving reliability at public charge points and ensuring people feel safe while charging. I look forward to publishing our response to these consultations soon.”
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Notes to editors
About Electrifying.com
As we head towards the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, Electrifying.com clears the air for consumers to make choosing, buying and owning an electric car easy.
Comprising a team of electric experts, the brand is led by Founder and CEO Ginny Buckley. With 25 years' experience in broadcasting, journalism and the automotive industry, Buckley is here to demystify the electric car and give trusted, independent advice to the mainstream car buyer, enabling them to make the switch with confidence.
She is joined by Nicki Shields, the face of Formula E, host of the CNN tech and electric racing show ‘Supercharged’; tech, gadget and car expert Tomi Adebayo (better known as @gadgetsboy) and Tom Ford, the former host of BBC Top Gear America, Fifth Gear and electric car advocate.
About Walk Safe
WalkSafe believes that everybody has the right to feel safe, wherever they are and in any situation. Sadly, dangers are a fact of life, but WalkSafe believes in empowering people with knowledge about their surroundings while also providing safety features at your fingertips via apps and interfaces therefore creating real change in both attitudes and crime. The WalkSafe map visualises serious crime reports as icons. We use verified police data published each month by Police UK. Our algorithm cycles through the most recent month of police data, refreshing the map twice per week. This allows our users to build a detailed understanding of crime patterns in their local area and on their regular routes. Using this knowledge, users can plan safer routes that avoid trouble hotspots. The WalkSafe app also scans the road ahead when our users are out and about. Users get alerts when they walk near areas that have seen reports of serious crime such as knife attacks, sexual assault, mugging and pickpocketing. No one can predict where the next crime will be. However, we believe being informed and staying alert is the key to staying safer.
