In January 2015, 10 car manufacturers debuted technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) instead of at an automotive show. This marked a shift in our perception of vehicle tech. Suddenly, vehicle safety technology wasn’t just a part of the car, but news in its own right. But how did it affect our fleets?
Telematics
Telematics had a massive impact on fleet safety and efficiency in 2015. Their increased sensitivity and versatility made them more than just real-time indicators of the position of a fleet vehicle. In 2015, fleet managers were able to track driver behaviour, control route efficiency in real time, and monitor the health of each vehicle on the road. They could see how much time each vehicle spent idling, and watch as braking and accelerating patterns indicated likely wear and tear.
Driver safety apps
Driver safety apps really took off in 2015, powered by more efficient and ubiquitous telematics. Simple driving behaviour apps monitored speed and driving habits, delivering warnings when drivers began operating in a dangerous fashion. Complex efficiency and reporting apps tracked driver’s routes, cross-checked them with real-time traffic data, and even used mobile-phone cameras to keep a safe distance between fleet vehicles and road obstructions.
Autonomous braking systems
2015 saw over half of all UK production vehicles fit autonomous braking systems, either as standard or as an add-on. AEB, as it’s also known (it stands for Autonomous Emergency Braking), had a massive impact on driver safety and vehicle downtime, reducing rear-end traffic collisions by a whopping 38%.
Insurance technology
Onboard cameras combined with the telematics ‘black boxes’ to deliver valuable insurance claims data. ‘Dashcams’ recorded footage of road traffic incidents, enabling fleet drivers (often the targets of crash for cash schemes) to refute bogus claims. And the telematics provided by the black box sent reports on real vehicles usage to insurers, allowing fleet managers to drive down their insurance costs by just under one-third.
Improved customer service
Telematics and mobile reporting technology didn’t just have a positive effect on fleet vehicles and their drivers. More accuracy in locating vehicles, better real-time pictures of traffic conditions, and more responsive systems for rerouting drivers stuck in traffic, all combined to get more deliveries arriving on time–or to keep customers informed when delivery times were changing.
How did you find technology changing your fleet management in 2015? Let us know on Twitter and LinkedIn.
