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Privacy concerns a barrier to adoption of full-time tracking units

By / 8 years ago / Latest News / No Comments

The survey of 500 UK firms which run business vehicles found that 40% reported staff concerns about the perceived intrusion into their privacy associated with full-time tracking systems. And one-in-five have not installed telematics as a result of those concerns – despite the technology delivering proven savings in fuel costs, wear and tear and insurance.

In addition, just over half (52%) of firms which do have telematics in their vehicles also said their employees did not have the option to switch it off.

RAC Telematics has launched a Bluetooth-enabled personal ID fob called MyDrive in response to these concerns, which gives the driver the option of turning the telematics unit off when they are not making business-related journeys and using the vehicle outside of their agreed working hours.

RAC MyDrive works in conjunction with RAC Telematics devices and connects with the telematics unit over Bluetooth. Crucially it recognises the individual driver, whichever vehicle they use. It is designed for company car owners and business motorists who are part of the grey fleet, as it means they can accurately record which journeys are for business purposes and which journeys are private, and so not visible to their employer.

Commenting on MyDrive, RAC Telematics MD Nick Walker, said: “We know from our research that it can be a challenge for businesses to install telematics to their fleets because of the concerns from staff drivers, especially if the vehicle they drive serves a dual purpose for work and personal journeys.

“RAC MyDrive directly addresses those concerns and should provide individual drivers with the reassurance they seek that non-work related journeys will remain off the radar as it were. This should in turn make it easier for business owners and fleet managers to install telematics and access the range of benefits it delivers, such as cost savings on fuel and wear and tear, as well as a reduction in accidents, speeding fines and vehicle downtime.

“It also enables employers to fulfil their Duty of Care obligations much more effectively as they will know exactly where their staff are during business hours. The other key benefit is for businesses which run vehicles that have multiple drivers, pool cars etc, as the device will link to the individual driver so the fleet manager knows exactly who is driving which vehicle,” he added.

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Katie Beck

Katie joined Fleet World in 2012 as an editorial intern, following the completion of an English and American Literature BA from the University of East Anglia. She accepted a full-time position as an editorial assistant at the end of the internship period, and was promoted to the role of features editor in 2014. She works across the magazine and website portfolio, and administrates the social media channels.