When talking about health and safety in transportation, a lot of attention is given to how you drive; and for good reason. Harsh acceleration, braking and speeding all influence the safety of the driver and those around them.
Another important dimension to consider is what vehicles your staff are driving. Modern vehicle safety technologies have greatly improved over the past few years, including features such as lane keeping assist, traction control, forward collision warning and driver attention detection. These systems help prevent accidents and mitigate damage if an accident does occur. So, while you are leveraging technologies like Smartrak to help improve your driving culture, with the right vehicle you can be confident your drivers are safer when events outside their control occur, such as other hazardous drivers and environmental factors.
To help businesses investigate various makes and models the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) in conjunction with Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (ECCA) has published Rightcar. In Australia, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has published How Safe is Your Car (HSIYC). Both are online tools to search and view vehicle safety information. Both Rightcar and HSIYC have plenty of safety information, including vehicles' ANCAP ratings, a list of safety features and a link to the ANCAP reports (if available). Using this information, fleet managers can better understand their vehicles' overall safety and make informed decisions when purchasing or leasing new vehicles. In addition to vehicle safety information, both sites also have detailed C02 and fuel efficiency statistics that help businesses understand expected fuel costs and C02 emissions for that vehicle.
Investing in an IVMS to monitor and improve driving culture is an important first step in reducing accidents and managing a fleet's health and safety risk. Leveraging tools such as Right Car and HSIYC can provide an opportunity to understand and create a roadmap to further reduce your organisational health and safety risk by ensuring your drivers are using vehicles that keep them safe while getting the job done.
Speak to Smartrak about how integrating these two data sets can give you a true 360-degree view of your fleet.
