UK government plans tough checks on car and truck rentals after Spain attacks

Britain's government is considering more checks on drivers wishing to rent cars and vans following several attacks in which vehicles were used to mow down pedestrians.

The Department for Transport is working with police and the rental industry to explore tightening regulations following attacks using rented vehicles in Britain, France, Germany and most recently, Spain. The department says in a statement that the terror threat "is changing and so must our response."

Toby Poston of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association said in a statement Sunday that the industry is examining how to share data in a more timely way to enable authorities "to cross-reference rental reservation systems with the counter-terrorism watch list, for example."

In Britain alone this year, vehicles have been at the center of three attacks.