Ask the Expert: In what ways can telematics help keep me and other drivers safe during the winter?

Question: In what ways can telematics help keep me and other drivers safe during the winter? 

Answer: 

Telematics gives fleets a major advantage when looking to keep drivers safe during winter weather, including:

Monitoring driver speed

Usually, companies set real-time speeding alerts with some room for driver error. A best practice during winter months is to set these thresholds much lower and become more stringent on violating these expectations. For example, setting the posted speed limit violation threshold to two mph over the posted speed of the road to ensure that drivers are staying close to the limit and taking their time getting to their next stop. 

Staying alert on maintenance demands

Telematics solutions can monitor various vehicle maintenance needs, such as oil life and tire pressure, in real-time and notify the fleet manager when maintenance is needed. Batteries die faster in cold weather, especially when they sit for extended periods. By utilizing a telematics solution, fleet managers can receive alerts informing them when batteries drop below a specific voltage. Setting this alert serves as a reminder to start the vehicle or do some investigation to prevent a dead battery. This knowledge can save a fleet thousands in unnecessary maintenance spend and improve the safety for drivers by reducing the number of faulty vehicles. 

Proactively coach drivers

Speeding, rapid acceleration and harsh braking should always be avoided, but these actions are particularly dangerous in winter weather environments. By harnessing GPS telematics and predictive analytics, fleet managers can catch patterns of unsafe driving behavior before it results in a serious accident.  

Information provided by GPS Insight