Driver safety technology has been a godsend to the fleet/driving industry. First, we have the originals: GPS telematics, seat belt sensors, dash cams, and now we have the up-and-coming ADAS, which encompasses a wide array of functions.
These functions include:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Anti-lock Brakes
- Forward Collision Warning
- High Beam Safety Systems
- Lane Departure Warning
- Traffic Signals Recognition
The latter of the safety technology mentioned (ADAS) has the power to transform the safety of fleets. If done correctly, ADAS can save millions of lives if we all can adopt it. However, the issue we can see arising here is an over-reliance on safety technology. As of now, ADAS helps reduce driver risk, but, not wholly relieving the driver of all driving responsibility. Moreover, like all other technology, it can fail and malfunction.
The more tried and true driver safety technology used in the fleet industry, GPS telematics & cameras, have transformed fleets in how they show fleets what they can improve on and provide evidence in case there ever is an accident. In addition, telematics and cameras offer data that can help fleets AFTER the drive or accident, so although they are beneficial, dare we say mandatory, they are reactive and not proactive.
The Problem!
The main problem with being reactive rather than proactive is that fixing the problem relies on there being a problem in the first place, and when it comes to driving, that problem could be a massive accident that could lead to people losing their lives.
According to the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Motor Vehicle Management, 98% of vehicle accidents are caused by human error, and these are the top six human driver errors:
- Failure to wear a seat belt
- Excessive speeding
- Distraction/inattentiveness
- Incorrect assumptions about other drivers
- Tailgaiting
- Not checking traffic before pulling out or crossing lanes
The Answer: Ongoing driver training!
Initial on-boarding training for drivers is NOT enough to instill safe driving habits that will last throughout someone’s driving tenure. Like most processes, you learn something, get comfortable doing it, and then ease up and get a little lazy with it; that’s fine for most other skills, but not for driving.
Ongoing training sounds like a lot more work for fleet or safety managers, but it doesn’t have to be! Predictive Coach automatically assigns courses based on a driver’s actual driving behavior with zero interference necessary from fleet management. How? Predictive Coach works with Geotab telematics to track driving infractions and sends relevant corrective driving courses to be completed by the driver – not only notifying the driver of the dangerous driving behavior but offering corrective action to become safer drivers. Corrective action is assigned via company thresholds and only assigns corrective action when needed – not for a one-time mistake.
Proof Positive
Predictive Coach has been proven by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) case studies to decrease driver risk by up to 73%. To see how Predictive Coach benefited two separate fleets, check out:
