Why You Really Need a Driver Behavior Monitoring System for Fleet Management

Driver behavior monitoring system, fleet management

Why do you need to use the driver behavior monitoring for your fleet? If dangerous driving behaviors only led to financial losses, it would not be so bad. But unfortunately, road accidents also lead to injuries and fatalities for both the driver, passengers, and other pedestrians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If your business is related to driving, this means that you bear increased responsibility for the behavior of your drivers, the life and health of their passengers, and/or the safety of cargo. A driver behavior monitoring system is one of the benefits of fleet management system that can help you cope with these potential liabilities. In this article, we suggest rethinking your fleet management to make it safer with the help of technology.

WHAT DOES A DRIVER BEHAVIOR MONITORING SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?
Driver monitoring system is complex multifunctional solution. To work, it must consist of three layers.

    • Car monitoring device (e.g., camera with integrated GPS): It is directly installed in the car. Also, it transfers data to an application for managers.
  • Driver tracking software for managers: At this stage, information about the behavior of the driver goes to a supervisor.
  • Driving behavior analysis app for drivers: We may notice other people’s mistakes, but don’t less often notice our own shortcomings. The application for drivers is a way to show them their driving style using visual data. A driver monitoring app is one way to overcome bad driving habits by learning about them and analyzing their causes.

THE ISSUE OF SAFETY IS THE TOP PRIORITY IN A DRIVING MONITORING SYSTEM
The issue of public safety and the ethics of your business in relation to the impact on people and drivers should be a top priority when deciding on the creation of a driver behavior monitoring system. Here are the statistics that prove it.

  • A speed of just 10-20 km per hour can be the difference between life and death. A pedestrian hit by a car at a speed of 30 km per hour will be injured but will survive. At a speed of 50 km per hour, the pedestrian mortality rate tends to absolute. And an increase in speed from 70 to 80 km per hour increases the chances of an accident by 60%.
  • The most common causes of fatal accidents are speeding, alcohol and drugs, and driver distraction.
  • A safety belt saves lives and reduces the likelihood of death in a car accident by up to 60%.

Driver behavior monitoring can help you track these and other violations and allow you to take action before an irreversible situation occurs. In addition, human psychology is such that we can stop our bad habits (e.g., driving over the speed limit) if a driver knows that he or she is being monitored by supervisors. Because of this, all advanced countries have surveillance cameras with functions for recognizing the faces of drivers and car license plates.

There is only one way to make your drivers drive safely – coach them and let them know that their behavior is being monitored.

OTHER ADVANTAGES OF DRIVER BEHAVIOR MONITORING FOR BUSINESS
Driver monitoring systems can enhance security and save lives, but there are a few more financial advantages that you get from the implementation of this software.

  • Lower Maintenance cost. Careful driving means that machine parts will last longer. A team of good drivers will save you 12% on operating expenses, and a staff of bad drivers will increase your operating expenses by 13%.
  • Reduced oil consumption. By analyzing the behavior and routes of drivers, it is possible to come up with a data-driven strategy and reduce the use of fuel. For example, by optimizing routes and by reducing downtimes. This will make your business more environmentally friendly as well.
  • Less vehicle downtime. Vehicle downtime can lead to excessive fuel consumption and less productivity from your drivers. Fleet driving behavior apps may help you to find the reasons for downtime and eliminate them.
  • Ethical and safe driving. Good driving behavior is one more positive sign of your business reputation.

Benefits of driver behavior monitoring
WHAT DATA CAN YOU GET FROM A DMS AND HOW TO USE IT FOR BUSINESS GROWTH
In addition to the above benefits, driver behavior monitoring can help you collect and reuse the following data:

  • Total miles were driven and the fuel used: This information is needed to compare the performance of each of your drivers (e,g, to find out who has driven the longest distance per month), as well as to correctly evaluate fuel costs.
  • Real-time location and route (previous, planned): Customers awaiting delivery of their cargo could plan their time more efficiently if they knew exactly where the car with the parcel is en route and when it will arrive at its destination. Moreover, a vehicle tracking system will be in handy for your managers too.
  • Idle time: When the car is idling, it wastes fuel and wears of the car parts. You can track this indicator and remind drivers to remove the key from the ignition for example.
  • Maintenance and predictive maintenance: Driver safety software can also be connected to the solution you are using to record maintenance issues. What’s more, it is also possible to embed AI technology and use its predictive skills. Predictive maintenance with the help of AI is also capable of saving a lot of time and money.
  • Each driver’s schedule, the number of stops, total time spent driving: Understanding driver behavior data will help you manage your staff wisely. You will likely have to make some hard decisions to fire somebody, or a more welcome decision to praise somebody with a bonus.
  • Safety issues recognition – sharp braking, fast acceleration, speeding, improper parking, non-observance of the distance needed behind another car, and use of incorrect gear: You can use this data to help your drivers analyze and fix their mistakes, as well as to make them learn from the mistakes of others.
  • Real-time alerts: You may need this function to be aware of what is going on in your cars.

HOW TO COME UP WITH AN EFFECTIVE DMS FOR YOUR FLEET MANAGEMENT?
As you can see, the driver behavior monitoring system comes with a lot of advantages. With it, you can make your city a safer place to live, as well as solve your personal business issues. Here are some tips on how to create an effective fleet management solution.

  • Consider the features (and consequently, the data) you really need. Vehicle monitoring systems shouldn’t be complicated for you or your drivers. For example, you may launch it with only one feature that is the most crucial, and then, gradually invest in additional functions.
  • Add gamification and a rewarding system. Your drivers may not be so happy after finding out that you are going to install driver monitoring devices. Solve this problem easily and turn it all into a fun game. Your drivers will be glad to compete with each other by showing good behavior and getting points for it.
  • Think about how you would visualize the data. Data visualization methods are important to facilitate information perception. Think in advance what indicators you want to monitor and compare how to design it graphically.

CONCLUSION
Cprime’s team knows even more insights about driver safety technology development. Our knowledge is proven through practice, and we are always willing to share it with you in private conversation. Don’t hesitate to ask us your questions by getting in touch at learn@cprime.com.