New speeding fines: fleets duty of care

With a vehicle considered to be a place of work and speeding being the major factor in 4.6% of accidents in 2014, companies that run fleets of vehicles have a duty of care to ensure that employees are safe when driving on the road. Telematics can play a key role in keeping drivers safe, using the positive psychological impact of immediate feedback.

In a recent study of data from 9,144 UK light commercial vehicles in the UK, Masternaut examined the impact of its in-cab coaching device as a tool for giving immediate feedback to drivers on their performance whilst driving. Typically, telematics is used to give feedback through historical driver scores and training, but with in-cab coaching, drivers get feedback on risky behaviour in real-time. For example, if a driver is speeding above a certain limit, they immediately get auditory and visual feedback from Masternaut's in-cab coach. The same goes for other risky driving events like harsh braking and harsh acceleration.

This analysis by Masternaut has shown that vehicles with a lightbar installed and turned on recorded about half the instances of speeding per 100 miles driven, compared to vehicles with the lightbar turned off (2.35 instances per 100 miles on average versus 5 instances without in-cab coaching). One Masternaut client has been shown to reduce speeding over the road speed limit by up to 70% with the help of the in-cab coach.

Dhruv Parekh, CEO, Masternaut commented, “There is a wealth of evidence to show that driving at higher speeds increases the risk and severity of accidents. This risk can be reduced with the implementation of smart telematics. Our study shows that by providing immediate feedback to drivers, businesses are ensuring a safe working environment. Providing feedback in real-time results in lasting behaviour change and helps operations managers ensure duty of care, reduce the fleet's carbon footprint, and lower fuel spend.”