Fleet risk advisor says fleets could be ‘missing a trick’ when it comes to camera telemetry

Fleet risk and safety advisor, Melvyn Hodgetts has warned that fleets which are not turning to camera telematics could be missing out on valuable knowledge that could help devise vehicle and driver management strategies.
Speaking at Fleet Management Live last week during a best practice session entitled ‘Telematics cameras – a combined approach to managing driver risk in the real world’, Melvyn, Driving For Better Business Campaign Manager and ex-Royal Mail Logistics Safety Director, said that operators who are serious about improving their driver standards need to investigate this type of technology.
“Managing fleet risk is a fundamental issue in our industry and companies need to ensure they action well-devised, multifaceted strategies,” commented Melvyn. “Telemetry systems, and telematics cameras in particular, help support and enable this, providing insights that can help change driver behaviours for the better, reduce incident rates and associated losses, and prevent fraudulent claims. The more information a fleet manager has, the better they can manage their fleet, hence why those not looking at camera telemetry as an option could be missing a trick.”
As VisionTrack’s Risk and Safety Consultant, Melvyn works closely with the business, which is a next generation in-vehicle CCTV provider that has seen impressive growth in 2016 since launching its 3G VT2000 telematics camera.
He added: “An incident might not only have direct implications but could also result in financial, reputational and legal repercussions. Now that the key issues around data transmission, storage and costs have been largely addressed, telematics cameras such as the VT2000, provide essential information to reduce future risks and limit implications should an incident take place.”
Simon Marsh, VisionTrack’s Managing Director, commented: “Without visual footage, we believe that fleets are only receiving half the picture. Yes, telematics is core to a fleet’s activities, but it is its combination with video that gives a clear, all-round understanding of driver actions and enables better training and risk strategies to be formulated.”
Fleet Management Live was held on 19-20 October at the NEC, Birmingham.