Why video telematics the next step in tackling driver distraction
Operation Twistlock is in full swing. That makes it more important than ever to keep track of your drivers and their behaviour.
In case you missed the stories in DieselTalk, the Herald and NewsTalk ZB, police and road safety agencies from Australia and New Zealand are conducting a campaign focusing on drivers of heavy vehicles. They're looking at vehicle safety, driver fatigue, driver behaviour, speed compliance and alcohol and drug use. The campaign targets trucks, buses and taxis travelling on major roading corridors in Auckland, in particular, but the rest of the country will also receive close attention from police field intelligence officers and motorway patrol staff.
The campaign finishes shortly, but that doesn't mean there's no need for ongoing vigilance. In fact it's a timely reminder to fleet managers to use all the tools available to ensure that vehicles are being driven safely and responsibly.
While you can't be in the cab with your drivers, a GPS fleet tracking system, coupled with a comprehensive reporting suite, allows you to keep tabs on their performance and vehicle safety. Fleet tracking reports will tell you whether they're speeding, braking harshly where and when drivers are stopping and whether they're taking breaks at appropriate times. . And while the system doesn't have built in breath and blood testing capability, it can help to identify the unusual behaviour and erratic driving that results.
The information is gathered second-by-second then assembled and presented in a meaningful way. In other words you don't have to spend your time trying to interpret raw data. Instead a dashboard on your computer uses data visualisation techniques to transform the way complex information about your fleet is presented to you, helping you to make good and informed decisions. For instance, it enables you to quickly and easily monitor all the drivers in your fleet for cases of over speeding.
Good tracking systems have a broad range of built in reports, but you can decide what you want to measure and set the targets you think are appropriate. And you can decide how to apply them. One vehicle leasing company fines its customers $50 for excessive speeding. It's part of the contract. And customers accept it because his rationale clear and simple: "It's not legal. It's not safe. It puts your driver, my vehicle and other road users at risk."
And because the data is clearly presented in a report, there's never an argument.
Operation Twistlock may be coming to an end, but by using a GPS-based fleet tracking and reporting system you can recognise poor driving practices when they occur and lock in good and safe driver behaviour.