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health & safety

Driver Safety – A guide to reducing risk

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By Barney Goffer, UK Product Manager for Teletrac Navman

For fleet managers, the first step to improving driver safety is knowing which metrics to capture in order to then create meaningful KPIs around them. This is where connected fleet management solutions come in – making everyone’s lives easier.

Connected fleet management solutions such as the ones we offer at Teletrac Navman can help fleet managers measure elements of driver behaviour and gain a clear picture of driver performance and levels of risk. Our latest solutions enable fleets to digitise coaching and incentive programmes, to help drivers identify and correct high-risk actions.

One of the key risk areas for fleets is distracted driving, which is now much easier to monitor thanks to smart dashcams placed in the vehicle. Smart dashcams can be lifesaving – they review every minute of drive time through forward and driver-facing cameras and utilising AI, signals of driver fatigue or distraction can be detected and acted on before an incident occurs. Driving behaviour can also then be reviewed retrospectively to develop sophisticated and engaging driver coaching.

Speeding is something that raises risk levels in any situation, so that’s another key factor we need to consider when implementing safe practices. With smart solutions, fleet managers can compare driver speeds with posted speed limits and set alerts based on their own thresholds. In addition to safety, reducing speeding events will also help to decrease unnecessary fuel usage which is an important business KPI.

Connected fleet management solutions can also give a fleet manager a clear picture of whether a driver engages in behaviour contrary to their safety goals, such as harsh cornering, aggressive acceleration, or heavy braking – the latter of which may indicate too much speed being carried or a delay in responses. In addition to impacting safety these actions also affect the condition of a vehicle and increase unnecessary maintenance costs, but also impact insurance premiums if the aggressive driving leads to an accident.

To recap, a firm understanding of driver behaviour and how certain behaviours add or reduce risk is vital to building a comprehensive driver safety program. Connected fleet management software now helps identify poor driving behaviours in real-time so that actions can be addressed and corrected before an incident occurs, while also more clearly identifying incidents for post-event training.

Risks can be drastically reduced when fleet managers are empowered with visibility and to be able to develop fleet safety programs proactively, deliver highly tailored training programs, and build driver trust through the personalised approach, transparency and immediacy of the training.

Take 30 seconds to fill out Teletrac Navman’s online solution builder and learn about the fleet safety technology being used by fleets around the world.

Lightfoot’s Elite Driver Championship reveals first winner

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Lightfoot has announced the first four-figure winner of its new driver engagement initiative, the Elite Driver Championship.

Providing prize draws ranging from £1,000 to £7,000, the new, big cash prize pot joins the suite of rewards that Lightfoot Elite drivers can win through the Lightfoot driver app, including its weekly Drivers’ Lottery, where individuals can win up to £200.

The difference with the Elite Driver Championship is that to be eligible for the big-ticket cash prizes, drivers must maintain an average score at or above 85% – Lightfoot’s Elite Driver Standard – for the duration of the prize draw.

That’s exactly what Tom Curtis of DeterTech in Telford achieved, bagging himself £4,000 in the very first draw.

Launched in April, the Elite Driver Championship gives drivers who consistently achieve the Lightfoot Elite Driver standard the chance to win £1,000 every single month, as well as the opportunity to enter the mid-year bonus bonanza, where three drivers will win between £500 – £2,000.

At the end of year, drivers who have maintained the Elite Driver Standard from April through to December will be eligible for the Championship Christmas cash pot of £7,000. Three drivers will also win between £500 – £2,000.

Paul Hollick, Managing Director of Lightfoot, said: “Adopting a driver-focused rewards-based approach has been a game changer for fleets using our ‘beyond telematics’ tech. Now, thanks to Allianz’s sponsorship, we have serious sums of money on offer that can be won in the Elite Driver Championship. We believe this will lift driver engagement to all-time highs, week-in and week-out, helping to streamline the process of fleet management.

“That’s important because drivers who actively engage with Lightfoot through the app perform at least 10% better drivers than those that don’t, which means that fleet managers only need to focus on the few drivers that consistently fail to hit KPIs. In terms of fuel savings, emissions reductions, driver safety, and lower accident levels that’s huge, bringing immediate and lasting benefits to fleets, their drivers, and the environment.”

Lightfoot’s in-cab device engages with drivers in real-time, delivering ‘in-the-moment’ nudges that modify driving styles for the better, aided by audible end-of-journey scores. This guides drivers towards their weekly goal of achieving Elite Driver status, which unlocks access to weekly prizes, The Drivers’ Lottery, and the Elite Driver Championship.

Lightfoot’s ‘beyond telematics’ approach has helped fleets achieve engagement of 90%+, realising average fuel and emissions savings of up to 15%, EV range extension of up to 15%, as well as reductions in at-fault accidents by up to 40%, wear and tear costs by 45%, and vehicle idling by 24%.

Since the launch of the Drivers’ Lottery in 2019, Lightfoot has given away over 111,000 prizes, with a total value just shy of £370,000, and has helped cut CO2 emissions in fleets by over 200,000 tonnes, reducing fuel use by almost 90m litres.

Lightfoot harnesses AI for Vision safety camera system

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Lightfoot has launched a suite of in-cab camera solutions that deliver an all-in-one driver safety package, enhancing the positive impact of driver engagement through its market-leading telematics technology.

Designed to build on Lightfoot’s driver-first approach, which encourages fleet vehicle users to adopt smoother, safer, and less polluting styles of driving through in-cab coaching and rewards, Lightfoot Vision helps protect drivers in the moment by actively detecting distracted driving.

Utilising AI and machine vision, the intelligent video telematics system alerts drivers to behaviours that could lead to an accident – such as failure to wear a seatbelt, use of a mobile phone, eating and drinking while driving, or smoking/vaping on the go – allowing them to self-correct to prevent possible incidents. This not only keeps drivers safe, but also helps fleets avoid the unexpected expenses of vehicle repairs and the associated downtime.

Ranging from basic road-facing cameras to advanced driver-facing dash cams, Lightfoot Vision can also be used to capture instances of harsh driving and cornering, speeding, idling, and events where drivers receive a Lightfoot penalty, with footage available to view through the Lightfoot portal.

Lightfoot says Vision will not only help fleets save lives and money, but time too. The system uses AI to review footage and alert fleet managers to events that require further investigation. Scanning through thousands of hours of footage in seconds, this advanced technology removes the need for fleet managers to take a look at every driving event recorded by the cameras – many of which are often false positives – leaving them free to focus on the real issues and ensure that genuine incidents are dealt with swiftly.

In situations where an incident has occurred, Lightfoot Vision provides undeniable video evidence, building a picture of events leading up to and during a collision. This helps to not only support and protect drivers out on the road, but also to resolve legitimate disputes quickly, reducing the number of disputed claims experienced by fleets and preventing insurance fraud, while minimising expensive third-party liability investigations which can lead to hikes in premiums.

Paul Hollick, Managing Director of Lightfoot, said: “This is something that we’ve been working on for a while, as our customers have been calling for dashcams to become a central part of the Lightfoot fleet management system. The introduction of Lightfoot Vision’s in-cab camera suite takes our ability to positively influence driver behaviour for the better to an entirely new level. It enables fleets to operate in a safe, efficient, and socially responsible way, where driver self-management, aided by nudge technology through our in-cab telematics devices, instantly and sustainably improves driving behaviour – removing the need for costly training and time-consuming data analysis at the same time as improving customer service.

“By incentivising drivers and utilising cutting-edge technology that supports and protects them, we are creating a package of prevention that minimises the potential for at-fault accidents, while giving undisputable evidence to fleet managers to counter insurance fraud. That’s vital as today’s near miss could be tomorrow’s serious and costly incident. By understanding where fleet risk exists, and giving drivers the tools to reduce that, we can minimise the impact of poor, distracted, or inefficient driving, saving time, money, and lives. In addition, fleets using the Lightfoot system should also see a further improvement in MPG – or an extension of range in EVs – so we’re ensuring all bases are covered for optimum performance.”

Unmarked HGV cabs spot 700 offences in police crackdown

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week by police officers patrolling the M1 in National Highways’ unmarked HGV cabs.

Eight police forces travelled the route between Leeds and London in the HGVs on the look-out for unsafe driving in a week of action targeting the motorway.

They stopped a total of 663 vehicles and uncovered 691 offences. The most common offence was not wearing a seatbelt with 239 people caught without their belt on – 73 in South Yorkshire alone.

This was followed by 181 people spotted using a mobile phone at the wheel then 44 drivers not in proper control of their vehicle and 43 driving without due care and attention.

Penalties ranged from words of advice and traffic offence reports to 14 court summons and even five arrests.
National Highways provides the unmarked HGV cabs to police forces across the country as part of Operation Tramline. From the elevated position in the HGV, officers can spot unsafe driving behaviour – whatever vehicle the motorist may be in.

The 663 vehicles stopped included 180 HGVs and 204 private vehicles.

They included one driver in Northamptonshire who was stopped due to the front side windows being heavily tinted and when tested they only allowed 11% of light through. The driver did admit to officers: ‘I sometimes have to wind the window down to see at night’. He was reported for having a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

The same force also stopped this driver with an insecure load for which he argued ‘that their own weight holds them on’. They were also reported for traffic offences.

Meanwhile Derbyshire Police spotted a number of insecure loads during the week of action – labelled Operation Freeway – including this vehicle which was seen travelling along the motorway.

The week of action took place during the first week of March during some severe wintry weather. Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Police officers had to pull over a number of vehicles to remove the snow off their roof or turn their lights on as visibility was very reduced.

National Highways Head of Road Safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Hundreds of thousands of motorists travel over 21 million miles on the M1 every day – accounting for one in seven of all motorway journeys – and the vast majority are safe and legal drivers.

“But there is a minority that continue to put themselves and others at risk. It is disappointing that almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week – but thanks to Operation Freeway those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours.

“Through this week of action we aim to reduce the number of incidents on the M1 and to encourage motorists to think about their driving and to adopt safer behaviours.”

Guide to health and safety in the fleet industry

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Fleet companies have to stay updated on the legislation affecting how they run their business. They must be proactive in managing and improving the safety of their vehicles and staff. Compliance with regulations is essential to avoid fines and lawsuits and help the business operate more efficiently since their assets and employees will be safe and healthy. So, check out this guide to health and safety in the fleet industry.

1. Need for Risk Assessments

Risk assessment refers to the careful examination of certain aspects of the workplace that could cause harm. It helps fleet owners decide whether they have done enough to protect the vehicles and the drivers from potential danger.

Fleet drivers face different types of hazards every day. Some of these risks apply to drivers of commercial vehicles, while others apply to specific industries. Fleet companies must be able to assess a driver’s level of risk exposure and come up with a plan to ensure they have the proper resources and systems to minimise these risks.

Consider doing online training in health and safety regulation to know more about risk assessments. When conducting fleet risk assessment, fleet managers must identify potential issues that could make a fleet unsafe or non-compliant. After identifying such risks, they must determine a proper framework of practices to improve safety and prevent further hazards. The ultimate goal is to ensure the safety of the fleet of vehicles, their drivers, and other motorists. There is no “one size fits all solution” to risk assessment in the fleet industry. However, adopting a set of practices, programs, and tools would be a great place to start.

By law, a risk assessment should be sufficient and suitable, which means it has to be good enough to ensure the safety of employees. It does not need to be technical or complicated. In fact, you can carry out risk assessments during the regular course of business operations.

It’s crucial to conduct a thorough and accurate assessment. If you have more than five people in your organisation, you must jot down any significant findings from the risk assessment you have conducted.

2. Managing Lift Trucks

Lift trucks are some of the most dangerous fleets of vehicles. They are involved in almost a quarter of all accidents in the workplace. While these vehicles are highly effective at moving heavy loads and increasing efficiency, they also come with hazards that could endanger drivers and pedestrians. Fleet managers and owners should be aware of the dangers of using lift trucks in the workplace.

Some of the most common hazards associated with lift trucks are unsecured loads that could fall on drivers and pedestrians, tipping of the lift truck due to imbalanced load and excessive speed, collisions, and workers falling while standing on the forks.

The HSE has established standards for the safety of using lift trucks. It requires operators to undergo basic training before operating any lift truck, even if they don’t drive the vehicle regularly. Operators have to be trained as per OSHA requirements. Employers should devise a training program incorporating the general principles of the safe operation of lift trucks. The training should also educate drivers about the hazards created by these vehicles. Trained operators should know how to safely conduct the job, as specified in the workplace evaluation.

Fleet managers and owners must provide operators with formal and practical training on the proper use of lift vehicles, which may include a combination of videos, lectures, software training, demonstrations, written material, and practical exercises. Moreover, employers have to certify that operators have been given the necessary training and evaluate them at least once every three years.

Fleet owners and operators must work together to ensure the safe use of lift trucks before they get behind the wheel. They must conduct a daily inspection of all the lift trucks. These include examining the tires and oil levels, checking any water, oil, or radiator leaks, testing the brakes, lights, steering wheel, and horn and ensuring that the forks are straight and don’t have any cracks.

When operating the lift truck, the operator must ensure the load is well-balanced and secure to keep it from tripping. The driver must also check any obstructions and uneven surfaces in the surrounding area to prevent accidents.

3. Vehicle Safety

Businesses that operate vehicles, including fleet companies, have to be aware of the consequences that could arise from road traffic accidents. Hefty fines, insurance claims, personal injuries, charges of corporate manslaughter, and even prison sentences are some potential consequences you could face if you fail to comply with vehicle safety. Therefore, you must ensure that you’ve done everything necessary to fulfil your obligations and have something to prove your compliance.

Establishing a process for reporting faults can help to avoid accidents and is also essential in assessing if the safety measures you have put in place are effective. When it comes to this, one of the legal requirements is to conduct daily vehicle checks to identify potential issues. Fleet owners must give drivers proper training in conducting necessary checks and reporting any problems. They should also consider providing drivers with a daily checklist to sign for their vehicles, like checking if the tyres were properly inflated.

Drivers must immediately report any faults on the vehicle to anyone with enough authority to ensure proper actions. They should also make them aware of anything that could affect the vehicle’s roadworthiness and must record these. If they detect any fault, they must make a report about it and include the date, vehicle identification mark or registration, details of the problem, driver’s name, etc.

Fleet managers should conduct regular safety inspections and maintenance vehicles according to time or mileage using a maintenance scheduling system, planner, or wall chart. They should conduct safety inspections according to the vehicle handbook, which includes noting the inspection details and frequency. Anyone conducting the safety inspection of vehicles has to be competent enough to assess any signs of defects. There should be a system to ensure that any unit not safe on the road will be removed from service until they are deemed fit for use.

Fleets and garages debating cost of car sanitation

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Fleets and garages are currently working out ‘who pays the cost’ of sanitisation on cars and vans that undergo service, maintenance and repair (SMR).

That’s according to epyx, which says that while there appears to be general agreement among all parties that vehicles will need sanitising thoroughly before they are handed back to their usual driver after undergoing work, who actually will pay for cleaning products, PPE equipment and the time taken is very much open to debate.

Tim Meadows, Vice President and Commercial Director at epyx, said: “This is a development that we are just starting to see through our 1link Service Network SMR platform… Sanitisation is becoming recognised as an essential part of almost any visit by a vehicle to a workshop. The car or van is potentially touched by many people as part of almost any SMR process, and the potential spread of infection needs to be minimised.

“However, that santisation has a cost and is starting to appear as a formal charge on some job sheets. The question is, who pays? Garages see it, understandably, as an additional cost that they shouldn’t have to bear. Their fleet customers, equally understandably, feel the same.”

Meadows said that issue was especially acute where, on lower SMR bills, it could be interpreted as a disproportionate amount.

“If you are having £1,000 of work done, then a potential £10 item doesn’t stick out but, if your car is in the workshop for an MoT test or even just having a small repair, it becomes more noticeable

“Some of the fleets that use 1link Service Network have hundreds of thousands of maintenance jobs every year and adding £10 to each suddenly becomes a very large sum of money.

“Equally, this is a significant cost for garages to absorb. However efficient they become at sanitisation, this is something that takes time and money.

“One thing that we have found during the coronavirus crisis, though, is that a very strong spirit of co-operation has emerged across our industry. Everyone recognises that they are facing the same issues and they need to resolve them together. We are sure that sensible solutions will be found to this problem.”

Dangerous driving: 5 risk factors at the wheel

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Road accidents are the leading work-related fatality and a crucial issue for businesses that manage a fleet. At Masternaut, a Michelin Group company we have conducted a study based on over four million driving hours to identify and help you avoid the most common dangers behind the wheel.

Take a look at some of our key findings in the Dangerous driving: the biggest risk factors whitepaper or get in touch for more information on how you can manage the safety of your fleet.

The data collected:

  • > 50 000 vehicles observed
  • 4M hours of driving analysed
  • 192,5M km travelled
  • 15 variables studied
  • > 9M datapoints collected

Download the whitepaper

At Masternaut, a Michelin Group company, our purpose is to provide sustainable mobility through connected vehicle technology. As one of Europe’s largest fleet management service providers, with leading positions in the UK and France, we provide connected solutions for fleet tracking and optimisation, jobs management, driver safety and behaviour improvement, and CO2 emission reduction.

We believe every business is sitting on unrealised potential. Hidden in your data are insights that have the power to transform your fleet – and possibly even your business. We specialise in revealing these transformative insights so you can turn them to your advantage, helping you save money, boost your productivity, improve safety and security, delight your customers and ensure the sustainability of your business. 

GUEST BLOG: Incorporating smartphone-based telematics into fleet duty of care

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By Nick List, Customer Success Director, Europe, eDriving

Under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 all UK companies have a legal obligation to ensure their employees do not suffer any unreasonable or foreseeable harm or loss in the workplace and, as such, fleet operators have a duty to not only ensure that company-owned vehicles are safe to drive but that any work-related risks for drivers are minimised.  

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) states that: “Health and safety law applies to work activities on the road in the same way as it does to all other work activities and you should manage the risks to drivers as part of your health and safety arrangements”.

In its Driving at work: Managing work-related road safety document, the HSE defines that health and safety law applies to any employer with employees who drive, ride a motorcycle or bicycle at work, as well as self-employed people. It also applies to those using their own vehicle for a work-related journey. 

For an increasing number of fleet operators, telematics is becoming part of their risk management strategy and here Nick List, eDriving’s Customer Success Director, Europe, highlights some of the benefits of smartphone-based telematics in helping to manage driver risks and explains how this technology can help fleet operators fulfil their duty of care obligations, including among the grey fleet…

In terms of managing driver risk, what’s expected of the fleet operator? 

The HSE outlines three main requirements of managing road safety effectively: safe driver, safe vehicle and safe journey. Safe driver starts with ensuring drivers are competent and capable of doing their work in a way that is safe and also incorporates other requirements such as checking the validity of driving licences on recruitment and periodically, ensuring drivers are adequately trained, providing refresher training if needed, and ensuring drivers are aware of various risk factors, including fatigue. 

Safe vehicle means vehicles are fit for purpose, maintained in a safe and fit condition and also includes ergonomic considerations such as seating position and driving posture. Remember, this will extend to all vehicles being used for company business, not just those within the organisation’s fleet. 

Safe journey includes planning routes thoroughly, setting realistic work schedules with regular breaks, allowing drivers enough time to complete journeys safely and considering weather conditions when planning journeys. 

How can smartphone-based telematics be incorporated into driver risk management? 

A comprehensive driver risk management programme will be based around a solid safety culture that puts safety before anything else. This safety culture will have the support of senior leadership and will be reinforced at every opportunity. 

Smartphone-based telematics can enhance a safety culture by providing visibility to managers and drivers about actual on-road performance, enabling risk intervention to be targeted accordingly. Smartphone-based telematics programmes can help to reinforce an organisation’s safety messaging through gamification features that engage and encourage drivers, keep informal safety conversations going and, crucially, provide the actual training that drivers require based upon their own individual driving style.  

What are the advantages of smartphone-based telematics over traditional in-vehicle telematics? 

Telematics can identify harsh manoeuvres such as harsh acceleration, braking and cornering; as well as speeding by posted speed limit. And while traditional, in-vehicle “black box” style telematics cannot measure driver distraction, smartphone-based telematics can. This can include any type of phone use including calls, texts, internet use and even moving the phone to view a notification. For organisations that have a “no phone usage” policy, smartphone telematics can therefore be used as an effective audit tool. 

Because smartphone-based telematics uses smartphone technology, there is no end to the features available. eDriving’s programme, Mentor by eDrivingSM, not only measures driver risk and helps to remedy it via in-app training but it also incorporates additional features to help fleet operators manage their duty of care including First Notice of Loss (FNOL), which allows drivers to report an “event” (Collision, Incident, Crash or Licence Endorsement) from within the app. It also offers vehicle inspection reports, guiding drivers through their daily walk-around vehicle checks, with key fault alerts being automatically notified to the leasing company.

How can driver strengths/ weaknesses be identified? 

Smartphone-based telematics can help both drivers and managers see how a driver performs on each and every “at-work” journey. Going a little further, driver scoring provides an at-a-glance measure of how a driver’s performance changes over time; helping both drivers and managers to measure improvement and promptly identify areas for intervention. 

How can smartphone-based telematics help fleet operators to manage driver risk in the grey fleet? 

A unique feature of smartphone-based telematics is that it requires no installation and moves with the driver and their mobile phone. It therefore works in exactly the same way whether the driver is in a company-owned vehicle or a personal vehicle, facilitating a standard measure of driver risk across an organisation’s whole fleet, regardless of vehicle type, ownership or location. 

What action can managers take based on telematics insights/ driver scores? 

One of the mistakes commonly made by fleet operators is to provide driver training when someone begins employment and then pretty much leave the driver to it after that. Some organisations may go a little further and provide refresher training, but this is often only on an annual basis and not always risk-based for the driver. Without the need to encroach on a driver’s privacy in terms of where they are driving, smartphone-based telematics and driver scoring can give managers an almost real-time insight into a driver’s level of risk and helps managers see which drivers require additional training, and of what nature. 

Driver training can then be tailored specifically to address a driver’s specific development needs, and this can be delivered in numerous ways. One method we use at eDriving – via our Mentor programme – is to deliver interactive micro-training modules directly to the smartphone app, based on the behaviours identified. So, for example, if a driver’s braking is identified as an issue, the driver will receive a short in-app video training module to encourage smoother braking.

Managers have complete visibility of training assignments and completions; and drivers that continue to under-perform are identified to the manager for further support and intervention, which might include in-car training or professional coaching.