Features
27 mar 19

Telematics and collision-avoidance systems go hand in hand

Fleet managers in Latin America can use a combination of telematics and collision-avoidance systems to monitor driver behaviour, make fleets safer and improve their bottom line.

In Brazil, research institute IPEA estimates that 433,000 accidents occur each year, leading to 45,000 deaths or one every 12 minutes and to approximately R$50 billion in costs every year*.

Traffic engineering company CET in Sao Paulo found that in around 80% of all cases**, accidents are attributable to human error, whether it be due to improper driver behaviour, a lack of training or the inability to drive the vehicle.

Telematics

In addition to monitoring location and routes, many telematics systems can be used to identify behaviours such as sudden braking or accelerating and speeding. Telematics can also be used to ensure drivers stick to their routes.

Collision-Avoidance Systems

Collision-avoidance systems offer several ways to protect drivers. Headway monitoring warns drivers when they are too close to the vehicle ahead of them. Forward collision warning and pedestrian and cyclist collision warnings issue alerts when there is a potential danger ahead. Lane departure warnings help prevent drivers from losing focus and drifting into a different lane. The speed limit indicator lets drivers know when they are going too fast.

These warnings give the driver immediate feedback, allowing them to correct mistakes on the spot as opposed to waiting and seeing if their supervisor will catch them .

Drivers train themselves

There is strong evidence that this immediate feedback helps drivers train themselves and drive more safely a recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) showed that the number of alerts to drivers dropped anywhere from 30 to 70%, indicating improved driving behaviour.  

For many fleets, however, their best investment is in combining telematics with a collision avoidance system .

Not only can the real-time alerts provided by collision-avoidance systems reduce the number of accidents and associated costs, they can also lead to other benefits. Fleet managers typically report fuel savings  as growing awareness helps prevent poor driving habits like sudden braking.

Fleet managers in Latin America could potentially see both greater safety and significant savings by implementing Mobileye technology.
 

*http://www.ipea.gov.br/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27755

**http://www.cetsp.com.br/media/171940/bt53.pdf