Distracted driving is still a major concern for managers, whether it involves pickups, dump trucks, or on-road haulers.
Telematics firm Telectrac Navman is out with its most recent survey on “Global Distracted Driving Trends,” and fleet professionals around the world have weighed in, reporting 70% of their businesses have been impacted by distracted driving incidents. Some 49% of respondents cited that distracted driving has had a direct impact on costs.
Of course, there are both human and financial considerations.
“Establishing a culture of safety in the workplace has emerged as one of the most significant challenges [fleet] operators face today,” said Alain Samaha, CEO for Teletrac Navman. “This issue not only jeopardizes the lives of drivers but also endangers the public and poses substantial commercial risks, including rising insurance premiums and other direct costs associated with safety incidents.”
Not surprisingly, the No. 1 culprit, according to 68% of those surveyed, is mobile phone use. Eating and drinking is listed next, at 48%.
What fleets are doing
Many fleets are turning to additional technology to combat distracted driving. Those businesses that have already been affected by distracted driving are most likely to implement technology solutions. Responses highlighted that tech use was 34% higher within businesses that had been affected by distracted driving versus businesses that had not.
The technologies are varied, but most are advanced telematics solutions. These include forward-facing cameras, driver-facing dashcams, and digital coaching apps. Phone blockers have also been used.
Forward- and driver-facing dashcams are cited as most effective by survey respondents.
Future Tools
In a supplement to its annual survey, Teletrac Navman said that 83% of fleets feel that AI is the future of safety.
“The use of AI by fleets is expanding from, primarily, fleet planning to fleet operation,” Samaha said. “There are clear safety advantages in harnessing AI with vehicle and dashcam data, including preventing accidents by reducing distracted driving, and our customers are turning to Teletrac Navman and TN360 as a partner in achieving these results.”
According to the survey, 26% are testing or piloting AI safety solutions and 18% are exploring options.
How can AI help the specification process?
Thirty-two percent of respondents said that AI will effectively be used to monitor driver behavior in real time and to reduce distracted driving incidents (16%); predicting and preventing potential accidents (17%); improving vehicle maintenance (14%); and enhancing training/coaching through data insights (13%).
However, implementing AI is not without its concerns and challenges. Despite 66% of teams being aware of the safety benefits of AI, 23% of respondents said they were concerned about data privacy and 14% fear resistance from drivers or staff.
Forty-seven percent (47%) of respondents said that human interaction is crucial for effective decision making and 37% said humans provide accountability and ethical oversight.
In other words, AI and telematics can’t do everything.
“Camera and telematic data, in combination with AI, have the potential to be a very powerful tool for fleets who need to cut their exposure to risk,” Samaha said. “However, people are integral to making that happen, especially in situations where there may be concerns from drivers and unions. Effective communication is key.”
