Road safety is influenced both by road conditions and maintenance as well as the drivers’ habits and vehicles’ technical condition. The topic of safe driving and fleet management has become very popular during the past years. In some countries, transportation companies even receive awards about developing their businesses by implementing safe driving and fleet management practices. But how exactly can a company improve its fleet safety? Here are some of the solutions that have helped our clients to do that!
Driver behaviour matters as much as the vehicle’s technical condition
According to the traffic accident reports worldwide,
over 95% of major vehicle accidents involve some degree of driver behaviour,
especially excessive speeding and aggressive driving – harsh acceleration, braking, cornering, etc. A study by the World Health Organization even showed that a 1% increase in the average speed produced a 4% increase in the fatal car crash and a 3% increase in the serious crash risk.
Knowing that more and more transport and logistics companies choose to use the driver behaviour solution that allows seeing what actions the drivers take based on their perceptual and cognitive skills and knowledge. Tracking the drivers’ performance on the road can help to spot the bad driving habits and take timely action, for instance, by organising internal training to improve the driver behaviour and lessen the risks that aggressive driving can cause. Improving driving habits can also help to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, as told by one of our clients – global building materials manufacturer SCHWENK.
Vehicle inspections save lives and reduce unexpected expenses
Checking vehicles’ technical condition before driving is a must. Even though the equipment failure rarely cause accidents or major crashes (only 2%, according to the Crash Stats Reports by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), roadside repairs are more expensive than the ones done in the repair shops. Most accidents and vehicle break downs are caused by:
- Tire problems such as blowouts and worn-outs that drastically reduce the ability to control the vehicle;
- Bad brakes that lead to the inability to stop in time and is the most frequent cause for the rear-end collisions;
- Steering and suspension that causes the loss of control;
- Inaccurately regulated or unused headlights and/or taillights;
- Windshield wipers.
Most of these parts can be checked before driving. What’s more, it can be done using a simple checklist from our digital vehicle inspections solution. It enables you to set individual inspections plan for each vehicle in your fleet and allows to add photos and comments to the inspection file, therefore providing transparent and understandable information on the current state of the vehicle.
Staying compliant with remote tachograph data download and analysis tools
Drivers’ wellbeing is as important as road and vehicle conditions. Tracking the drivers’ working hours, especially in logistics and long haulage business, helps to oversee whether they work according to international regulations and have enough rest time. This is an important thing, as every year around 41% of the total roadside offences registered in Europe are caused by breaking the driving and rest time rules.
Tracking working and rest times, and tachograph compliance is possible by using a tachograph remote download solution.
Even better if it’s integrated with data analysis tools, such as Tachogram – that will let you have an automated data processing and analysis, as well as detailed reports on the infringements, enabling you to make timely business and fleet safety-related decisions.
Nevertheless, you’ll help your drivers stay safe – when they’re well-rested, they have less chance to lose attention or even fall asleep behind the wheel.
Important reminders on insurance, technical inspections and more
Driving is safer when the vehicle has insurance, all the necessary licences and has successfully passed the state technical inspection. Keeping track of this data may be a challenge, especially if you manage a large fleet. However, there’s a tool in the Mapon fleet management platform that keeps a record of all important data – tachograph calibration dates, insurance renewals, upcoming technical inspections, etc. When the deadlines are approaching, the system automatically sends you a notification, so you can plan the necessary repairments and make sure your fleet vehicles are always in good technical condition.
GPS tracking to help your drivers on the road
Vehicle location tracking is the basic fleet management solution that everyone is aware of and uses every day.
Seeing where your drivers are can help you in everyday work and in critical situations, for instance, in case the vehicle gets into an accident or breaks down while being on the road.
Having a live map online or in the mobile app can save the day by showing you the exact location of your fleet vehicles. Besides, it may come in handy to find the nearest repair shop or Mapon service network station in case drivers experience issues with the tracking devices or fuel sensors while being on the road.
As you can see, there are many ways and solutions that may help you to improve your fleet safety, regardless of its size and the type of vehicles you have. After all, what matters is that both your drivers and cargo get to the destination safe and sound.
If you’re interested in finding more about Mapon fleet management and asset tracking platform, contact us here or sign up to receive a free quote for your business needs!