Why video telematics the next step in tackling driver distraction
Whether you drive for a living or just have a car to help get you from A to B, you’ll no doubt have plenty of personal driving peeves.
Don’t get us wrong, there are loads of civil drivers on New Zealand’s roads - using a GPS vehicle tracker will reveal your fleets best - but we can’t pretend that there isn’t also a percentage of unruly types who seem to have a lack of regard for anyone outside of their own little metal cage on wheels. Fleet and heavy truck drivers spend more time than most on the road, and will have a list as long as their arm about what grinds their gears.
Here are the top 5 worst driver behaviours that drive us all around the bend:
1. Failing to thank drivers when they’ve let you out at an intersection or into their lane
Ok, we accept this might seem relatively petty, but as AA Driving School general manager Roger Venn explains here , general driving manners do not come naturally to all drivers. "A simple thank you by a wave of a hand or a flash of the lights is all that's required. That just means people will pass it on and say, 'Oh that was nice, somebody actually let me in and I'll do the same next time,' and it's as simple as that, just simple manners."
2. Changing lanes when traffic is already crawling
It’s bad enough being stuck in traffic that’s nose-to-tail as it is, but there’s always that one person who thinks there’s some sort of advantage to be gleaned from weaving between lanes. Worse still, there are people who spot an infinitesimally small gap in the slightly faster-moving lane and pull out into it without warning - forcing you to slam your brakes on!
3. Failing to indicate in a timely manner, or just not indicating at all
When we were learning to drive our instructors would bark at us for not indicating. It's a fundamental part of driving. There are those, however, who appear to have such unshakeable confidence in their driving abilities they can simply dispense with the first two steps. The worst place this type of behaviour manifests is on roundabouts when drivers either forget or don’t bother to let their counterparts know which of the various exits available they plan to take.
4. Speeding up in passing lanes
There are some motorists who, for one reason or another, speed up as you attempt to pass them in the passing lanes. It seems like such a uniquely New Zealand problem, but why do motorists do it? Are they trying to stop you from passing? Attempting to prevent you from reaching your destination on time?
The slow driver’s speed increase forces you to drive faster than you should to pass them. Travelling too fast for road conditions is the second highest factor contributing to crashes in New Zealand . Not only is this driving behaviour annoying — it’s dangerous.
5. Persistent tailgating
How many times have you been enjoying the drive home from work, ticking along at the speed limit only to have some impatient fellow sitting about 30cms from your bumper and flashing their lights frantically?
Tailgating was a contributing factor in 10 deaths on New Zealand roads during 2015. Yes, of course it can be frustrating when drivers dawdle. But those who engage in tailgating, to pressure them to speed up or get out of the way, put themselves and other road users at unnecessary risk of a serious accident.
We realise that there are times when you simply can’t legislate for the actions of other road users. But fleet operators can help to encourage better driving habits among their own workforce, and more and more firms are adopting vehicle tracking solutions with this in mind.
Telematics systems provide fleet managers with unprecedented insights into the way their drivers conduct themselves behind the wheel, flagging a range of risky and undesirable behaviours — including excessive speeding and harsh braking. GPS vehicle tracking software enables fleet managers to devise training and development programmes tailored to the needs of individual drivers — helping them to cut out risky behaviours on the road.