Getting the complete picture
Richard Lane, commercial director of VisionTrack, discusses the benefits of video-enabled telematics integration
The integration of video telematics with tracking software allows transport operators to combine consistent and accurate driver behaviour data with video footage in a single platform, without the hassle of using multiple systems. As such, it is providing to be an effective way of overcoming a host of fleet pain points.
Video telematics perfectly complements a traditional vehicle tracking system, providing context that would not previously have been available. Adding undisputable video evidence of collisions, near misses and harsh driving events to your system’s driver performance and reporting capabilities will create a complete view of fleet customers’ vehicle operations.
The ability to manage these telematics systems together through a single cloud-based platform should not be underestimated. Bringing together multiple data sources ultimately enables a greater understanding of fleet and driver performance than ever before, while ensuring high levels of simplicity, accessibility and security.
Remote repair, diagnostics and maintenance also ensures software issues are resolved with minimum fuss and downtime, without the need to give any external access to business systems and data that could create a data security and GDPR nightmare.
Vehicle tracking has been a proven way of gaining visibility and control over a fleet for many years, but this alone cannot overcome some of the safety, insurance, compliance and cost pressures faced by transport operators.
For example, traditional telematics systems provide no real-time context of what took place, so it is impossible to determine who was at fault and if there is a recurring driving issue that needs to be addressed.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), motor scams remain the most common insurance fraud within the UK. The ABI claims that 58,000 dishonest claims were detected in 2019, up six per cent on the previous year and costing over £600 million.
Having the means to view exactly what took place within a matter of seconds, backed up by highly accurate and consistent telematics data, enables transport operators to effectively challenge fraudulent insurance claims, false driving allegations and disputed liability.
In fact, video telematics technology, integrated with a vehicle tracking system, can quickly establish the root cause of an event within moments of an incident happening.
A driver swerving due to poor driving by another road user, or suddenly braking to avoid a pedestrian running out from behind a parked vehicle, would typically be logged as a harsh event. Only with video footage can a fleet manager correctly identify if an incident was a positive driver action in response to an unexpected situation.
The enforcement of the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) is fast approaching, which has created an added headache for transport operators that operate vehicles over 12-tonnes in London. By taking an effective integrated approach, it becomes possible to upgrade a telematics infrastructure without the need to undertake a complete technology overhaul, replicate functionality unnecessarily, or create an additional, standalone system.
By simply adding a supplementary hardware kit an existing single system, transport operators can efficiently meet fleet compliance requirements, such as DVS, FORS or CLOCS, to create a solution that is best suited to their precise needs. In this way, a company can simplify operational processes and maximise the value gained from telematics, saving both time and money.
Effective integration provides an effective way to video-enable any fleet telematics solution, future-proofing technology investment and taking advantage of the latest advances in the marketplace.
