CONCERNS have been raised over proposals for the widespread introduction of fingerprint scanning of motorists at the roadside.

Fleet and fuel management company Arval said businesses have raised concerns over increased time delays during on-the-road spot checks.

A fingerprint pilot is currently under way with 10 police forces across Britain and Arval bosses are telling customers the pros and cons of such a system.

The roadside device works by electronically scanning a driver’s index fingers and the scans are then sent wirelessly to a central fingerprint database. Any matches are identified and are expected to be returned to an officer within a target time of less then five minutes.

Mike Waters, head of market analysis at Arval, said: ‘The intrusion provided by mobile fingerprinting should be considered alongside the potential benefits it might provide. If police are able to determine the identity of an uninsured driver by the roadside, it could mean a reduction in incidents as well as limiting increases in insurance premiums.’