Where Can I Place Cameras On My Minibus
August 13, 2018
Where Can I Place Cameras On My Tipper Truck?
August 20, 2018
The safety of the fleet, the drivers and the public should be at the forefront of every Fleet/Compliance Manager’s mind. It’s enshrined in law and so we would expect it to be followed uniformly. But many don’t.
The cause may be the seemingly bewildering array of requirements and regulations that fleet operators face, and the vast mix of systems to deal with it all.
A number of recent reports and surveys highlight the extent of the problem.
The Data Doesn’t Lie
Released in June 2018, ProVision’s Fleet Risk Assessment Report data shows that 17% of respondents admitted that they did not carry out legally required walkaround checks before setting off. If an accident is caused by a vehicle part failure and the driver carried out no vehicle checks beforehand, both driver and fleet manager could be liable for prosecution.
The data also indicates that fleet operators who invest in cameras are more likely to do vehicle checks and far more likely to do so using electronic means rather than paper. The really interesting fact was that when we looked at fleets that have multiple, high end cameras, we found that all of them carried out walk-around checks. In contrast, in fleets that had no cameras at all, 22% did not carry out walk-around checks.
 Respondents with No Cameras |
 Respondents with Cameras |
Respondents with Multiple Cameras
This data seems to indicate a correlation between understanding risk, and so investing in risk avoidance/management technology and following best-practice compliance. In other words, those that do the right things also buy the right things and vice versa.
This is not just about statistics and data. Research conducted by Bridgestone Tyres and Highways England brings the dangers into stark reality.
They show that:
Three-quarters of motorway accidents related to tyre failure could be avoided if drivers carry out simple checks.”
This means that the majority of the 30 people killed in tyre related accidents on motorways in 2016 could be alive today. While this study was conducted on all vehicle accidents, it’s likely that a large percentage of accidents involved commercial vehicles that suffered a tyre failure.
In fact, you can see in the video a number of destroyed commercial vehicle tyres. Check out this video by Highways Roads Project.
A study by Verizon Connect shows that a quarter of UK commercial drivers are not taking sufficient rest time.
EU & UK guidelines states that a CV driver must take a rest of 45 minutes for every 4 ½ hours of driving. A quarter of UK fleet managers confessed that their drivers do not follow this rule.
Not only is this a breach of important guidelines, it is extremely dangerous for the drivers and the public. As we all know, driver fatigue is a major contributor to many road accidents a year and can often have fatal consequences.
The report also states that the reason for this is likely to be that a third of fleet managers have no way of monitoring their drivers’ rest breaks.
Since 2009, the RSA have initiated prosecutions against drivers and operators in respect of breaches of this legislation. The full details of this study can be found here.
Are You At Risk?
Does any of this resonate with you? Do you struggle with aspects of fleet compliance?
You may be at serious risk of prosecution and high legal fees in the event of one of your vehicles being involved in an accident.
Our CameraMatics platform now includes everything you need in one solution.
- Firstly, our tracking system highlights the amount of time that a vehicle was parked with ignition off, allowing you to track rest breaks.
- Secondly, the latest addition to the platform includes a simple Walkaround Check, Fleet and Driver Records Management and Accident Reporting Apps. These allow you perfect record keeping electronically, that is linked to each vehicle and driver.
- Finally, we shouldn’t forget the vehicle cameras themselves, which provide a visual record, showing that your drivers were safe and compliant in the event of an incident.
It’s the technology that everyone is talking about, so REQUEST A QUOTE NOW and within 2 minutes you can provide us all the information we need to provide a detailed and accurate quotation.
