Smartrak’s Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) provides highly accurate velocity data, precise to 0.36 km/h. This accuracy helps fleet managers monitor driver behaviour, track vehicle performance, and identify potential safety risks.

In this guide, we explain how overspeed events are generated, calculated, and interpreted, as well as how to check for false positives.

How are Overspeed Events Generated?

Every overspeed event undergoes strict speed validation. Events that fail any of the following checks are automatically invalidated:

• Satellite quality - GPS position from a minimum of four satellites to ensure accuracy.
• Changes in speed - Checks GPS speed hasn't increased or decreased by more than 20km/h in the last second.
• Point-to-point speed - GPS speed is within +/- 9km/h of the calculated point-to-point speed, given the previous and current position.

This rigorous validation ensures that overspeed events are reliable for monitoring driver and fleet performance.

Overspeed threshold sampling

An overspeed event occurs when a vehicle exceeds the defined speed threshold for 10 valid GPS speed samples (1 second per sample). The speed recorded in the tenth sample becomes the reported speed for the overspeed event.

Example:

• A vehicle may travel at high speed for 15 seconds, but only 7 valid GPS samples are recorded in a row. In this case, no overspeed event is generated.

Once an event is triggered:

• Orange arrows appear on the Smartrak map to indicate overspeeding.
• Subsequent events are reported every five seconds until the vehicle slows below the threshold.
• When below the threshold, blue arrows appear, marking the end of the overspeed period.

The duration between the first orange arrow and the first blue arrow provides the total overspeed duration.

Checking for False Positives

GPS data can occasionally misreport speeds due to environmental conditions or poor satellite coverage. To ensure accuracy:

• Check the location: If the overspeed event appears off-road, on a hill, or on a building, it’s likely a GPS error.
• Consider urban areas: Tall buildings, trees, or narrow streets can cause GPS bounce, leading to false overspeed reports.
• Review surrounding events: Large speed jumps in short timeframes may indicate invalid data.
• Compare driver patterns: If a vehicle consistently records overspeed or high G-force events compared to the fleet, further investigation is warranted.

Tip: View overspeed events as trends, not isolated incidents. Patterns of repeated overspeeding indicate higher risk and may require driver coaching or intervention

Reporting and Insights

Smartrak makes it easy to monitor and analyse overspeed behaviour.

• Map view: Overspeed events appear directly on the Smartrak map
• Dashboards: The Overspeeding widget summarises incidents, helping identify hotspots, and peak times
• Insights Reports: The Overspeed Insights report highlights at-risk drivers using telematics and real road speed data

Important Considerations

Even with strict validation, false positives can occur due to GPS bounce or environmental factors. Before using overspeed events in disciplinary processes, always:

• Verify the event’s location and context.
• Check surrounding data points for anomalies.
• Consider driver history and overall fleet trends.

By following these steps, you can confidently use Smartrak’s overspeed data to enhance fleet safety, driver accountability, and operational efficiency.