3 Ways to Use Telematics to Improve Driver Safety

Driving is a useful necessity, but it can also be a dangerous, costly risk for every person behind the wheel. For employers, these risks grow to include potential legal and financial issues when employees are involved in collisions both on and off the job.

According to a study by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, more than 1,600 people were killed and 293,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents in 2013. These accidents caused more than half of those injured to miss work. On-the-job accidents amounted to nearly 8% of all collisions. For employers, this study also found the following:

• Car crash injuries cost employers $47.4 billion
• $20.6 billion of that cost was due to workplace disruption, liability costs, and property damage
• The remaining $26.8 billion included costs associated with health insurance, sick leave, and work loss insurance coverage
• Crashes involving at least one alcohol-impaired driver cost $6 billion
• Accidents where drivers weren’t wearing seatbelts cost $4.9 billion
• Injuries from distracted driving cost $8.2 billion
• Speeding cost $8.4 billion

Every time your drivers use unsafe and reckless driving habits, they put themselves and your company at great risk for physical and financial harm. Use these tips to see how you can use telematics to improve driver safety in your fleet.

1. Use audible feedback

Telematics has come a long way from simple GPS tracking, now allowing employers to monitor and track nearly every part of the driving process. Many new devices also offer the ability to influence driving behaviors, using audible alerts and spoken driver feedback to correct drivers when they operate outside of company policy. With these helpful tools, you can help your drivers create safe driving habits and give feedback as soon as they take dangerous actions, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.

2. Utilize data patterns

Your telematics devices can track location, speeds, and engine status in real-time. Using this data, you can identify trends and use this info to protect your drivers. See if there are specific times during the day that most accidents or infractions occur. Analyze GPS tracking data to see if specific areas or roads are more dangerous than others. Find the trouble spots in your fleet and use your telematics to build effective policies and training topics.

3. Maintain vehicle safety

Even the safest driver is at risk in a faulty vehicle. Many telematics devices monitor vehicle diagnostics, alerting you and your drivers when there’s a problem. To keep your drivers safe, use your telematics in tandem with smart management to keep your vehicles in the best shape. Perform regular maintenance checks, keep to a safe tune-up schedule, carefully monitor diagnostics, and always caution your drivers against using any vehicle that isn’t performing as it should.

How do you use telematics to keep your drivers safe?