One in three UK fleets now use telematics while vehicle location is the top reason for doing so, according to new research conducted by Arval.

33% of UK fleets say they use telematics

Analysis for the 2018 edition of Arval’s Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer research, which covers 3,718 fleets, found that 95% of fleets using telematics said they did so for “to locate vehicles”, followed by “improving driver safety” (87%), “improving driver behaviour” (875%), “reducing fleet costs” (75%) and “optimising journeys” (70%).

Overall, 33% of UK fleets say they use telematics compared to 19% across 12 other European countries surveyed, however take-up varies among fleets of different sizes. Just 17% of those with fewer than 10 vehicles using telematics compared to 47% of those with 10-49 and 56% of those with more than 50 cars and vans.

Commenting on the figures, Shaun Sadlier, head of Arval’s Corporate Vehicle Observatory in the UK, said: “The driving force behind telematics adoption appears to be a basket of benefits related to safety, cost and efficiency and it is all these things together than makes telematics such a strong proposition.”