Keeping Drivers and Loads Safer on the Road

Haulage companies have a lot of expenses in addition to the cost of their vehicles. These include wages, fuel, maintenance, insurance ... the list is endless. For that reason, anything that can help them reduce outlays, maintain driver and load safety and lessen vehicle downtime is something that needs to be looked at.

That’s what makes the new camera and telematics in-vehicle service from VisionTrack so interesting and worth taking a look at.

VisionTrack – an Award Winner 

VisionTrack is part of the Markerstudy Group; it was the regional winner for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at the Gartner Financial Services “Eye on Innovation” Awards at ITxpo 2016 in Barcelona this November. VisionTrack also won the ‘Most Innovative Digital Customer Service or Product’ category by using big data technology to make driving on UK roads safer for haulage companies and all road users.

Note: Big data is a term for data sets that are so large or intricate that regular data processing programs are unable to deal with them. “Big Data" often denotes the use of predictive analysis, user behaviour analysis, or other advanced data analysis methods.

How it Works

VisionTrack is an in-vehicle video solution which uses cutting edge, high definition camera technology that is connected via a mobile network to an IoT hub hosted in a private cloud. In the UK, VisionTrack also integrates into the Britannic Technologies contact centre allowing close monitoring of drivers.

The VisionTrack solution uses a video camera for real time monitoring of driver behaviour and also enables incident tracking. VisionTrack 3G telematics cameras are able to learn driving patterns and to predict and alert drivers of potential danger points along their route.

If an incident occurs, the contact centre is alerted and can provide real-time assistance via the mobile video system. Additionally, fleet managers of haulage companies can be alerted, again in real time, in the event of an incident. Video footage, which is stored in a private cloud, can be studied in order to ascertain the reasons for the incident and to decide on measures that need to be taken to prevent a recurrence of this or similar incidents.

The Benefits

First and foremost, it must be realised that this is a system designed to enhance and improve road safety. It is not a “Big Brother” system intended to allow haulage companies to monitor drivers and “catch them out”. Indeed, the system can also be used to identify good driving habits that can be passed on to others.

What the system is meant to do is provide real-time assistance to drivers in difficulty, provide insights into potentially hazardous situations and to enable operators, managers and drivers take the necessary steps to prevent incidents both in the present and in the future.

There are many positive results of using a system such as this one. Accident frequency can be significantly reduced; it insures fewer injuries to drivers and other road users; loads can get to their destinations on time with no damage; and it could even reduce insurance premiums. Now that’s something worth the investment!