LeasePlan released a study that found that vehicle data privacy is still top of mind for drivers, with over half of respondents being worried about what data is being collected from their cars and by whom.

LeasePlan, together with global research firm Ipsos, released the Car Data and Privacy edition of its annual Mobility Monitor, that found a majority (53%) of respondents being worried about who owns the data collected from their vehicle, according to the fleet management company. In addition, 52% are worried about personal data being left in cars after they are returned/sold, while 49% are worried about their data being shared with third parties.

Meanwhile, a large majority of respondents are willing to share data anonymously if there is a benefit to their driving experience. This is especially true if sharing data would: reduce traffic congestion and journey time (70% of respondents willing to share), reduce fuel and maintenance costs (70%), reduce vehicle emissions (68%), or improve car performance (66%).

“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,” said Tex Gunning, CEO of LeasePlan. “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 ensure everyone shares the benefits of the smart car revolution 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.”

Anonymity is a key requirement for drivers to share their data. In all of the above cases, almost half of respondents would only be willing to share car data if it was done anonymously.

The Mobility Monitor is an international survey of over 4,000 drivers in 16 different countries into the big issues facing drivers and the automotive industry.