Flottes Automobiles Road safety report: Real-time safety

Visuel presse - Optimum Automotive - gestion de flotte connectée

FRA press
‍‍Media family: Professional media
‍Periodicity: Monthly
‍Audience: 74,000
‍Media subject: Auto-Moto-Cyclo
‍Edition: May 2022
‍Pages: 56-57
‍Reporter: Éric Gibory
‍Word count: 1734

Telematics : Connected to vehicles, embedded telematics solutions remotely identify and analyze driving behaviors to raise awareness among drivers and limit the risk of accidents. The installation of connected cameras further reinforces the efficiency of the devices installed and announces predictive disaster management.

Real-time security

For the fleet manager, driving data is displayed alongside images of the context at the time when road incidents occurred. Drivers access these images in real time to react instantly in the event of a problem.

Dash cameras

Optimum Automotive also markets a solution based on embedded cameras. The images make it possible to analyze the behavior of the driver and to emit alerts in case of potential danger, when he has not fastened his seat belt, uses his phone, smokes or eats while driving. The device also detects abnormal fatigue.

Like the driver, the manager is kept informed of these events analyzed within the Optimum platform. Finally, the device monitors excessive speeds, compliance with safety distances, the crossing of white lines, etc. Analyzed by the solution's algorithms, this information can be used as a starting point for road risk prevention training. Optimum Automotive charges 200 to 250 euros to install the camera but does not charge any additional costs to process the information.

Features and prevention

For many years, telematics specialists have been multiplying functionalities related to driving safety. Road risk prevention is a legal obligation for businesses and eco-driving modules help to analyze and change behavior. “Beyond the simple observation, telematics leads to a dynamic of improvement”, underlines Daniel Vassallucci, CEO of Optimum Automotive.

Start training courses

To further empower its employees, the company has an additional resource with training. And this program can be done digitally. Optimum Automotive thus offers a specific space on its platform. The sessions take place over two to three months once or twice a week. As an ultimate step, on-track training promises even greater gains. Like Optimum Automotive with Codes Rousseau, many telematics specialists have signed agreements with road safety specialists.

Analysis at the service of businesses of all sizes

Formerly used by only large companies, telematics is being used by smaller organizations. “Initially, managers wanted to check where the vehicles were and whether the uses were in accordance with the rules,” observes Olivier David, commercial director of the telematics company Coyote France. Over the past four to five years, business leaders have become increasingly aware that road risks require control. The analysis of traditional telematics data offers the opportunity to build actions that are part of the company's routine, with analyses carried out regularly and accompanied by corrective actions. For example, the company must understand why the vehicle is being used before 5 or 6 am in the morning and after 9 pm, and change the organization of work accordingly.

An accessible solution

A telematics solution is billed from 10 to 15 euros per month depending on the functionalities. Earnings on claims vary depending on the client's initial situation and the way in which they appropriate prevention tools.

Costs and gains

Coyote Business telematics solutions integrate a variety of driver aids. Les alerts 80% of messages issued to drivers concern future dangerous situations and only 20% of them report radars. Among the data collected, the indication of the authorized speed is valuable when the limits vary more and more frequently, especially on the departmental ones. “With our driving assistance assistant, the driver can fight against stress, adopt peaceful driving and limit the risk of accidents”, pleads Olivier David. A smoother ride is safer and more economical. And fuel, maintenance, repair, and insurance costs are going down.

Precise follow-up and active coaching

With an embedded camera, Optimum Automotive identifies three to five inappropriate events per day and offers the driver the opportunity to correct them. “With all the measures in place and in the first three months, the number of accidents can decrease by 30% to 40%, but the results fade over time,” says Daniel Vassallucci. In general, the gain reaches 7 to 8% after one year. Another benefit, with an embedded camera and remote monitoring by telematics, the company can prove its innocence when one of its vehicles is wrongly incriminated in an accident. It thus fights against fraudulent claims declarations. “In the United Kingdom and Italy, insurers take care of the telematics platform and the training courses. This is not the case in France where the margins are tighter”, underlines Daniel Vassallucci.

Towards predictive management

In any case, telematics has moved away from its initial surveillance vocation to become a tool for fleet management in its entirety. In terms of road safety, and with the rise of artificial intelligence and algorithms, the observation of excesses and corrective actions will evolve to make way for predictive accident management.

Testimonial: Philippe Benquet, president of Acorus

“With this challenge, everyone feels concerned and motivated”
A specialist in real estate asset maintenance services, Acorus organized a driving challenge using the tool of its telematics specialist, with results in the end.

“Our aim is to become the company that has the best drivers on the road. Our fleet includes 600 vehicles. We noted an extraordinary number of claims and consumptions compared to the observations made by rental companies and insurers. We therefore chose to install the Masternaut Connect platform. We considered that deploying our actions in a fun way would reinforce their effectiveness and would involve all of our employees and drivers. An eco-driving challenge was therefore organized for all drivers whose vehicles are equipped with Masternaut's embedded digital coach. Thanks to alerts visual (green, orange, red), this tool guides the driver according to his behavior. Instantly and spontaneously, this device changes the way people drive. This challenge lasted ten weeks and the best drivers were rewarded. Thanks to this friendly event, everyone feels involved and motivated. Participants can tell themselves that they are doing something for the environment. This challenge gave a great deal of clarity on the differences between drivers. Dashboards with reports and key indicators, trends and rankings made it possible to realize how employees drive, whether they are safe or not - a final point that is particularly important. Second benefit: after five weeks, consumption fell by 5%, a very significant gain.”