How to Empower Your Fleet’s Safety with Video

However careful an individual is, driving a vehicle of any kind always opens up the possibility of experiencing an on-road accident. For those operating within the transportation industry, i.e., those who have a mobile workforce, this possibility is increased due to the frequency at which employees will be on the road.

As such, ensuring the safety of these employees is one of the core principles within fleet management; fleet managers are expected to have taken every precaution before sending their drivers out on jobs, and be able to swiftly respond if an event does happen.

The matter of fleet safety concerns fulfilling a business’s or company’s responsibility most of all, given that breaches have the inherent potential to impact other drivers on the road too. It goes without saying that, beyond the cost implications, failing to uphold this responsibility can have detrimental reputational consequences too. Fortunately, there are various ways to carry out fleet incident management, with these primarily involving video technology.

The Benefits of Fleet Video Technology

The primary advantage of installing video cameras into a fleet of vehicles is the enhanced level of visibility they provide to managers. While the concept of 'visibility' is often discussed in the context of fleet management, nothing offers a more direct perspective than that of camera video monitoring. This owes to how the technology provides an invaluable first-hand view of incidents.

Therefore, this heightened level of visibility allows fleet managers to conduct more thorough incident assessments when they occur. This includes identifying root causes and devising safety strategies for future prevention. Moreover, advanced fleet video technology offers functionality during events, such as automated detection notifications triggered by unusual G-forces, automatic uploading of footage, and SMS/email alerts, thereby guaranteeing quick responses.

Of course, the further added benefit here is cost control regarding claims made against your fleet. It’s not uncommon for false claims to be made following on-road incidents. And so, Having access to video evidence, especially from a combination of front-facing and side-and-rear facing cameras, quickly proves invaluable when substantiating associated events. On this note, we at MICHELIN Connected Fleet found that access to incident footage reduced claims disputes by 34%, in turn, equating to significant fleet cost savings.

The Role of Fleet AI Cameras

While standard fleet camera video monitoring technology cannot be understated, as shown, there are specific areas where it may not fully satisfy requirements. One such instance lies in its inability to improve driver safety proactively. Despite rigorous preventative measures and well-defined safety policies set out by fleet managers, the responsibility of maintaining road safety standards ultimately rests with drivers themselves.

It’s important to recognise that drivers aren’t infallible, including both those within and without the fleet. After all, a lot of on-road incidents can be put down to distractions like mobile phones. This is where modern advancements as typified by AI cameras become essential in addressing related issues. 

Driver-facing AI dash cams offer real-time feedback for potentially hazardous driving situations including smoking, signs of fatigue, and aforementioned phone usage. For external risks, there is the inclusion of headway monitoring and forward collision warnings so that fleet drivers can adjust their vehicles accordingly in order to reduce risk and avoid collisions with other road users. Taking these factors into account, it’s evident that for full fleet protection, it’s necessary to not only have fleet video technology, but also take advantage of how AI can enhance it.

Supporting Risky Drivers with Coaching

Even considering the obvious necessity of video technology, the mere presence of it can’t entirely support fleet managers’ efforts to ensure comprehensive fleet safety. As mentioned, a vast degree of the responsibility falls onto the drivers themselves. This is particularly relevant concerning fleet employees who may tend to exhibit risky driving behaviour, as exemplified by braking too harshly or accelerating too frequently.

Keeping this in mind, it is recommended to incorporate video technology as a component of a comprehensive fleet safety solution rather than solely relying on it. Indeed, a fleet manager's role is just as integral in promoting safer driving behaviours among their drivers as implementing technology that reinforces these behaviours.

Nonetheless, in conjunction with driver training, immediate in-cab feedback devices have shown to be effective in cultivating safer driving habits by providing real-time guidance to fleet employees during their tasks.

Fleet Video Solutions from MICHELIN Connected Fleet

Safety serves as the foundation of any fleet. Without a solid safety approach, a fleet becomes susceptible to costly claims, expensive maintenance, and general operational inefficiencies. The crux, however, is that it is much easier to discuss fleet safety than it is to enforce it.

It’s for this reason why we at MICHELIN Connected Fleet have developed fleet video solutions, rather than simply providing fleets with standalone peripheral devices. In addition to supplying camera video monitoring technology, we go beyond this by offering a consultative service that sets your fleet in a direction wholly underpinned by sound health and safety advice. 

Our solutions also integrate fleet tracking so that safety becomes synonymous with optimisation. In essence, this signals improvements in efficiency and productivity as well as safety. If you’re interested in empowering your fleet’s safety with video and attaining all the other benefits that come with our fleet management solutions, then be sure to make an enquiry into our services today. For further reading, feel free to browse our resources center.