Category: Vehicle Tracking

GEM Motoring Assist has underlined the safety threat posed by people who drive when they’re exhausted, stressing how important it is for motorists to be aware of the issue and to always be alert when they’re behind the wheel.

The breakdown recovery firm said this is a particularly common problem among people who drive for work, meaning it’s something that fleet managers need to be aware of.

Introducing vehicle telematics is one action that supervisors can take to boost their understanding of driver behaviour and improve safety.

The dangers of fatigue

GEM cited research by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents showing that fatigue is a contributing factor in around 20 per cent of crashes, particularly in the early hours of the morning.

Tiredness makes drivers less able to respond quickly and safely if a dangerous situation arises on the road, increasing the risk of collisions, particularly on long and monotonous stretches of motorway.

Shift workers, truck drivers and company car drivers are among those most at-risk of a fatigue-related accident. A clear majority (85 per cent) of motorists who cause fatigue-related crashes are male, and more than one third of those are under the age of 30, according to Brake, the road safety charity.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said: “Think about situations where you may be at increased risk of a collision because you’re tired. It may be the length of the journey you’re making that puts you at risk, but it could be your general state of alertness before you get behind the wheel.

“Crucially, when you’re driving, you will know when you’re starting to feel sleepy – it won’t just suddenly happen. So don’t ignore the warnings your body is giving you.”

Safety measures

GEM recommended a number of steps that can help drivers reduce the risk of fatigue-related accidents:

• Be sure to get a good night’s sleep before a long drive, since preventing fatigue is better than having to deal with the effects.
• Aim to limit driving time to a maximum of eight hours a day.
• Take regular breaks – at least 15 minutes every two hours or 100 miles is recommended.
• Avoid driving at times you would usually be sleeping.
• Consider pulling over somewhere safe and legal to take a 15-minute power nap if you start to feel sleepy behind the wheel.

Where fleet management is concerned, it’s important for businesses to do everything they can to protect their drivers and other road users. That includes educating vehicle operators about the dangers of tiredness, as well as other safe driving techniques and methods.

Introducing telematics technology can strengthen your understanding of driver habits and behaviours, giving you a data-based view of where positive changes can be made.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “Being alert and vigilant at all times behind the wheel is absolutely essential, particularly for people whose jobs require them to spend a lot of time on the road.

“As obvious as this message is, it’s always worth repeating and remembering.”

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Educating drivers correctly is essential to managing a successful and efficient fleet; saving both time and fuel. While you may consider your employees to be experienced and proficient drivers, regular training can only help build their knowledge and awareness of potential risks, and how best to cope with them.

Fleet managers should be educating their car and van fleet drivers on two major things: utilising telematics tools and minimising fleet downtime.

Utilising telematics is also imperative when managing an economical fleet. Last year, BP launched a new driver and fuel management platform called BP FleetMove. Designed in partnership with TomTom Telematics, the enhanced driver and fuel management product has been designed to improve fleet efficiency. The telematics tool allows drivers to access accurate vehicle data from a central dashboard showing fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and driver efficiency scores. It also allows drivers to keep on top of maintenance and servicing with a clear centralised view of in-car diagnostics.

One of the greatest sources of frustration for fleet managers is unplanned vehicle downtime, sometimes known as ‘vehicle off-road time’ (VOR) and the time that it loses your business due to unscheduled repairs and servicing. It goes without saying that VOR can cause huge disruptions to your fleet’s operations and can add to your operational costs. Research suggests that many operators put the cost of having a vehicle off road between £3,000 and £4,000 per day and some register an average of three VOR days per year.

Therefore, it is crucial to educate your drivers about carrying out robust routine checks. Regular preventative maintenance and servicing is fundamental to keep your vehicles in good working order, but you should try to schedule such work for a time that will cause least impact for your fleet’s operations, such as the weekend. By making this compulsory, your drivers can identify and report any minor issues before they worsen and begin to interfere with the performance of the vehicle.

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Fleet managers can gain a range of benefits from introducing telematics across their vehicles, including more efficient route planning and safety improvements through effective driver monitoring.

The latest research has provided insights into how widely this technology is being adopted across the fleet industry, with some (predominantly smaller) firms yet to recognise the benefits of telematics.

An ‘exciting new chapter’

A fleet management study supported by Commercial Motor and Motor Transport found that a quarter of operators have not yet introduced telematics across their HGVs.

Those reporting that they didn’t use this technology at all were mainly smaller operators running up to five vehicles.

All companies that were managing fleets of 500 trucks or more had deployed telematics at some level.

There was an even split in responses when companies were asked whether they used a single telematics provider for their fleets, or a combination of different systems.

A third of respondents that were using more than one supplier said this approach made it more difficult for them to gain maximum benefits from the data available.

Lorraine Sculley of Fraikin, which commissioned the research, said telematics systems have developed well past the point of simply being used for vehicle tracking.

“They are now providing access to incredible amounts of data designed to maximise operational efficiency, increase driver safety and improve vehicle reliability,” she added.

“We are at the beginning of an exciting new chapter where data, and how we use it, will make the difference in efficiency and profitability.”

Adoption of telematics is also on the rise among consumers, with recent research by Compare the Market predicting a “boom” in car insurance policies based on the technology.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “Given the wide range of benefits and opportunities it offers, telematics could shape the future of fleet management in the UK. The businesses that are quickest to adopt this technology could see the biggest advantages.”

 

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Fleet managers have been warned how many vans are stolen in the UK every day, with many potentially at risk because they’re not fitted with an alarm as standard.

What Car? Vans submitted a Freedom of Information request to the police and found that more than 43,000 vans have been stolen since 2016, which equates to more than 30 a day. A further 117,000 have been broken into over the same period.

‘Cause for concern’

These crimes are thought to have cost drivers and businesses nearly £62 million in lost tools and other items.

One of the potential risk factors for drivers and fleet managers is the fact that four out of ten new vans don’t come fitted with an alarm as standard, while just over a third (36.5 per cent) offer a factory-installed alarm as an optional extra.

Only 5.5 per cent of vans on sale today are not available with an alarm at all. These tend to be older models that are due to be replaced.

Other security features are better represented, with more than 90 per cent of vans featuring remote central locking as standard. Four out of five vans on sale (80 per cent) come pre-installed with deadlocks, which don’t use a spring, making them harder to pick.

The data also showed that London is the worst area for van thefts, with 14,263 vans stolen in the capital since 2016.

Jim Holder, editorial director at What Car? Vans, said the relatively low number of new vans that don’t come with a factory-fitted alarm is “a cause for concern”.

Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Countless small businesses and trade professionals up and down the country rely on their vans for their livelihood, so these figures are concerning. If your van doesn’t have a pre-installed alarm, it might be worth investing in one to protect your vehicle and its contents.”

The coming years could see a major boom in the use of telematics solutions for car insurance in the UK, with 3.8 million British motorists likely to switch to ‘black box’ policies, according to new research.

A survey by Compare the Market found that the increasing interest in the technology has coincided with growing concern among many people about the future cost of car insurance.

Realising the benefits of telematics

Telematics systems can have big benefits as far as insurance costs are concerned. The technology tracks driving behaviour habits and, for safe drivers, can lead to reduced insurance premiums that reflect their good habits.

Compare the Market pointed out that telematics policies are not yet the norm in the insurance industry, but forthcoming trends suggest that telematics devices could become increasingly common and familiar in the near future.

The company’s research showed that only two per cent of people are currently using this technology, but ten per cent of drivers are expected to switch to insurance cover that uses telematics in the near future.

Opportunities to lower policy costs will be welcomed by drivers and fleet managers across the UK. The survey found that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of people expect the price of car insurance to increase over the next three to five years.

Dan Hutson, head of motor insurance at Compare the Market, said introducing telematics technology is a “great way to reduce the cost of insurance”.

He added: “It can also make drivers more conscious of their driving habits, which can only improve road safety. It has taken some time, but telematic policies will become a lot more common and could well become the standard across the UK in future.”

Overshadowing other technologies

Another finding from the study suggested that telematics is capturing more interest than other innovations that could benefit drivers and the environment.

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of the 2,000 motorists surveyed said they have no intention of using ride-sharing apps, despite the green advantages they offer.

Subletting or renting out a car can help to offset the overall cost of owning a vehicle, but only one per cent of people have tried it, and 85 per cent have no intention of doing so in the future.

Similarly, less than one per cent of respondents said they were taking advantage of subscription-based insurance. This system sees drivers pay monthly premiums based on how much they use their car, rather than a flat annual fee.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “There are certainly some interesting developments taking place in the car insurance space at the moment. It seems that the UK public still needs some convincing where ride-sharing and car subletting are concerned, but it’s exciting to see that telematics is on course for considerable growth in the near future.

“This can only be a good thing for drivers and fleet operators.”

Your business can benefit from affordable fleet telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com.