In-vehicle telematics and monitoring systems are becoming more commonplace as fleet managers admit that the information they are provided with is vital to their company’s operations, according to Lex Autolease.
Lex Autolease’s report into Company Motoring, surveying 262 fleet operators, showed that 27% of businesses had some form of monitoring system installed. Of these respondents, 84% said a telematics set-up is the best tool to gain access to information in the interests of driver safety and cutting emissions.
Tim Porter, Managing Director of Lex Autolease, said, “We are likely to see an increase in usage of telematics as organisations will find be able to provide appropriate guidance on driver safety and behaviour to their employees. It also has the potential to reduce insurance premiums for those employers whose drivers do drive safely.”
He added that commercial vehicle fleets have been the most proactive, while saying that a potential stumbling block has been the reluctance of drivers agreeing to be monitored.
However, Lex Autolease’s report says that 43% of drivers would be happy to have telematics installed in their vehicle, with 44% keen to have camera systems installed.
Porter adds that growth will be driven by insurance companies that are likely to offer discount for vehicles fitted with these systems.
The report also focused on trends witnessed in the CV sector. Its findings mirror SMMT’s figures of growth in the van sector, by adding that 34% of the businesses surveyed had expanded their fleet in the last two years, with another 26% planning to do so in the next 24 months.
It also noted that fleet managers classify commercial vehicles as business critical so maintenance downtime must be kept to a minimum, which is why 51% prefers to pick 24-hour servicing providers while 55% find the option of evening servicing attractive.
The report also shows that the average time each vehicle in an entire fleet is off the road has decreased from eight days to 5.2 days over the last three years.
