Telematics data can provide a “very effective” means of encouraging behaviour change among drivers to improve fleet safety.

Dr Dorn suggested that fleets should use both training and ongoing telematics data to encourage long-term behaviour changes

So said Dr Lisa Dorn, associate professor of driver behaviour at Cranfield University, at last week’s ACFO spring seminar in Birmingham.

Held to explore the changing face of vehicle management, the seminar saw Dr Dorn tell seminar delegates there was “a lot of work to be done” to help drivers overcome lapses that either resulted in crashes or increased the risk of incidents, adding that introducing telematics to fleet vehicles was “an excellent way of monitoring behaviour”.

Dr Dorn suggested that “knowledge and skills-based driver training [alone] in the long run will not keep fleets safe”, adding that when drivers are not being observed, their behaviour returns to what it was previously.

She continued: “Fleet managers can use telematics interventions to drive very effective feedback through coaches.

“Having a conversation with drivers once a week is very beneficial. If fleets do not keep messages going and reminding drivers of their responsibilities then very soon behaviour drifts back to before interventions were introduced.”

Dr Dorn concluded that, for fleets wanting to change driver behaviour over the long term, telematics data and a coach were required “and not just a one-off driver training intervention” and added: “Don’t just leave telematics working in the background because eventually drivers will ignore the technology.”