SAFETY
WHY VIDEO TELEMATICS ALSO BELONG IN VANS AND CARS @DieterQuartier
The trucking business has long discovered the added value of video telematics. Large delivery van fleets are starting to show interest too. The next step could be company cars, even if privacy concerns are a tough nut to crack.
The integration of cameras to enable various video-based solutions in commercial vehicle environments is one of the most important trends in the fleet telematics sector, says IoT market research provider Berg Insight. In their recent report, they found that the installed base of active video telematics systems in Europe was less than 0.5 million units in 2019. The active installed base is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.1% to reach about 1 million video telematics systems over the next four years. The first industry to realise the added value and cost-saving potential of the technology was the trucking business, followed by passenger transport providers (buses). In recent years, the technology has been trickling down to Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) operators as well as the Ubers and Lyfts of this world. Some believe the next segment to open up to the technology is passenger cars. Not to coach drivers, but to avoid wrongful insurance claims.
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Insurance-driven “The initial concern is insurance and claims costs,” explains Damian Penney, VP of Lytx Europe. ”Until recently, large corporates that operate trucks and LCVs have not typically prioritised installing cameras in their fleet’s passenger cars. One reason is the lower incident risk – company car drivers are less involved in collisions than van drivers, which makes for a less convincing business case.”
“Still, as the costs of running a fleet are rising, companies are looking for ways to manage their expenses. They want to use video telematics in a reactive way – to see what happened and what caused the collision – rather than trying to proactively change behaviour by coaching the driver. The ability to see what happened in the past helps to improve driver safety and reduce insurance claims which can result in a significant saving. For example, our data shows that, using Lytx’s video telematics, we help fleets reduce claims costs from between 50-80%,” says Mr. Penney.
Privacy versus lives Privacy does remain an issue and it’s not uncommon for drivers to be wary about camera technology – especially if cars are not used strictly professionally, but also for personal trips. However, once drivers learn about the experience and benefits – including how video can be used to exonerate those who find themselves in a risky situation where they were, in fact, blameless – many insist on having a camera installed. “In addition, videos are only captured when something happens. If no incident or risky behaviour occurs, then no video is captured – and safe driving can be rewarded. Lastly, you can also manage the amount and the type of data it captures,” Mr Penney explains. “We’ve seen that, when our customers involve their teams early on in
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Damian Penney, VP of Lytx Europe: “We are very happy to talk to our competitors, because that’s the way forward.” the decision process, they’re much more likely to get driver buy-in. One of the ways this can be achieved is to work with drivers to shape a safety programme which provides a sense of ownership and accountability, which you’re less likely to get if drivers simply have a programme imposed on them by management. Instead, you see engaged drivers who are supportive and have an opportunity to see the safety and claims benefits of video telematics.” One of the biggest benefits for drivers is that video footage shows the truth, which in many cases demonstrates
