Exceeding the speed limit is something most drivers do at one point or another, however habitual speeder in your fleet can cause a company a lot of problems. Habitual speeders cost the company money in increases in safety risks, increases in fuel usage and emissions as well as excess wear and tear on the vehicle. Every company encounters this issue at one point or another, and there are several proven ways to address this negative driver behavior across the board. Companies that use telematics and GPS capable in-cab camera systems along with a Driver Safety Campaign see many benefits in reduction of speeders, resulting in reduced fuel and equipment costs, reduction in cost of crashes as well as fines. At Velocitor, we have found several methods our clients use that have proven successful in utilizing V-Track to reduce habitual speeding.
- Set Speed Alerts with The Right Amount of Notifications
Often when we work with clients during a deployment of V-Track we receive the request for driver managers and fleet managers to be notified any time any driver exceeds the speed limit. Even though this is a doable task, the driver/fleet manager will receive hundreds of alerts per day eventually ignoring them all together and not addressing the issue. It may not be important to know if a driver is going 67 MPH in a 65 MPH speed zone, however it is important to know if a speed limit is exceeded on a residential street or in a school zone. With any telematics or GPS system it is important to set notification where speeding matters the most, and if they are exceeded by a set threshold. This way the speeding is reported, however only the more extreme cases that require immediate attention are communicated to the fleet/driver manager so they can address each instance as it happens.
- Send Speeding Alerts To Troubled Drivers
Using a Fleet Management System like V-Track and V-Track Video, there is ample capability to alert the driver in real time if they are exceeding the speed limit either through an audible alert system or a text message notification. This action lets the driver know they are violating the speed limit including company policy and gives them an immediate warning to slow down. The driver notification system does have to be correctly configured to avoid constant alerts to where they are ignored. Several of our clients configure their system to only receive alerts only when the speed limit is exceeded by 5 MPH on city streets and neighborhoods, however this can be configured to each companies own requirements.
- Use The Available Data for Performance Improvement Reviews
Telematics and safety scores are available in a reporting format for time periods of the users choosing, however many companies never utilize this data when it comes to performance reviews with their drivers. The data is available and when it is periodically reviewed with the driver, they can recognize areas of performance they may need to improve and know that safety data such as speeding is tracked and reviewed. It is also important to point out improvement in speeding behavior as well as recognize drivers that have a great speeding record for them to keep their good behavior consistent.
- Gamify the Safety Scores
Gamification can be a great motivational method for employees and can be an effective safety tool to reduce habitual speeding in an enjoyable way. Our V-Track Mobile application allows for drivers to see how their score ranks overall against other drivers on their team in real time. During the day we find that drivers will keep up with their own performance to achieve a higher score. Many of our client partners also offer prizes to top performers, which further motivates safe and efficient behavior.
Speeding is a prevalent factor that contributes to crashes and traffic related injuries and death. In additional to increased fuel expenses, wear and tear on equipment, and fines, is it to any company’s benefit to address habitual speeding behavior. Please contact us for more information on V-Track with V-Track Video to learn more about how you can help reduce habitual speeding. We would be happy to share our experience and demonstrate our extensive capability.