FLEET decision-makers can monitor the repair process of their accident-damaged vehicles via the internet, using a new accident repair estimating system adopted by Lex Vehicle Leasing.

The system aims to reduce vehicle downtime, and is being used by the leasing company's accident management department, which oversees nearly 40,000 cars.

It has signed up to the Inter-est web-based estimating system from Technical Innovations Group to use throughout its network of 150 bodyshops.

Repairers go into the Inter-est website, create an estimate of how much time it will take, the parts that need replacing and the cost of repairing the damaged Lex car.

They also take digital images of the damage and send the information to LVL's accident management department via the web. Lex then examines the estimate and after checking the information and images it either authorises the work to be undertaken on the car or questions the estimate with the repairer.

Lex is already using the system for about 175 cars a week. David Poynton, in-house engineer at Lex Vehicle Leasing, said: 'We piloted the system earlier in the year and we have now rolled it out live to our repairer network. It replaces our paper-based system and we are now able to authorise repairs much quicker than before and control repair costs more easily.'