MiX helps BAT stay safe and sustainable
British American Tobacco (BAT) has been utilising fleet management solutions from MiX Telematics since 2016, to help meet its safety and sustainability goals.
MiX Telematics was reportedly chosen as the preferred vendor for BAT based on its global footprint and the fact it could service all the markets in which BAT operates.
The technology has been deployed across a fleet of 1,867 vehicles across 16 countries, including delivery trucks, light vehicles and motorbikes.
The initial requirement for telematics was driven by BAT’s objectives around improving fleet safety and sustainability. The company has ambitious targets to achieve carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2050. In addition, the company is aiming for zero accidents across the group, which has led to comprehensive health and safety programmes being put in place with tailored initiatives identified for high-risk areas.
In light of these targets, BAT chose the MiX 4000 technology, coupled with MiX DriveMate – an in-vehicle driver display that alerts drivers to their driving habits through a system of LED lights and warnings.
With drivers being alerted to their poor driving behaviour, it has led to reduced incidents of harsh acceleration, braking and cornering, and decreased speeding, MiX reports. In turn, this has had a positive impact on fuel usage.
BAT also uses the MyMiX app. The company wanted to understand its drivers’ driving style and be able to compare that with co-workers. Using this driver performance app allows drivers to be able to see information relevant to them and make positive changes to their driving behaviours, which has resulted in safer and more fuel-efficient driving.
By partnering with MiX Telematics, BAT now has easy access to large amounts of data on a global scale that helps it make informed decisions as to how best to operate its vehicles.
Fuel burn and emissions across the fleet can now be monitored and measured quickly and easily in a way that wasn’t previously possible, helping BAT to understand exactly how vehicles are performing and where fuel is being wasted.
When it comes to safety improvements, speeding incidents per 100 kilometres driven and the number of harsh braking events have both dropped by 40 per cent. Harsh acceleration events have reduced by 18 per cent in some specific regions.
MiX Telematics cites the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which found speeding was a contributing factor in 26 per cent of all traffic fatalities in 2019. As such, the results represent a significant reduction in risk for both BAT drivers and other road users, says the firm; and as a result of the improved driving, BAT has also benefited from an eight per cent reduction in the cost of its insurance premium.
“Working with MiX Telematics has been a key part of BAT’s ESG strategy,” commented Diego Campos, global sustainability compliance manager for BAT.
“The global reach and depth of data enables our markets and business overall, to make strategic decisions to make our fleets safer and more fuel efficient, which lowers both cost and CO2.
“Having a connected fleet through the delivery and design of the solution from MiX Telematics, provides us with additional actionable insights about the performance of our fleet that we can use to transform the way it is operated and utilised.”
