Some accidents are beyond our control, while others are preventable. For example, road accidents can be inevitable. Accidents may happen no matter how careful you drive if the other drivers are drunk, sleepy, and distracted. But some fender-benders can be avoided through road discipline and a fleet management system. For example, choosing not to drive when drunk and adhering to the speed limit helps create a safe road for everyone.
Road accidents are a matter of life and death. It is why it is a challenge for fleet managers to keep their drivers, passengers, and vehicles safe from road collisions.
One of the ways they found is installing fleet management systems, including a blind spot detection sensor and drowsiness detection system, to improve road safety.
How To Improve Road Safety By Maintaining Vehicular Road Worthiness
The road worthiness of vehicles is a pivotal part of increasing the road safety of the fleet. Fleet managers need to prioritise the upkeep of their cars. Besides maintenance, using an advanced leet management system and technology significantly increases the road safety of your automobiles.
Here’s how can fleet management system improve vehicular roadworthiness:
1. Maintenance tracking system
The maintenance tracking system is a popular component of a fleet management system. Its task is to inform the feet managers about maintenance schedules. This system determines the need for maintenance by monitoring the tire pressure and identifying whether or not the brakes and signal lights work properly.
The system will alert the fleet managers via email or texts if the vehicle is due for maintenance.
Maintaining the upkeep of your vehicles prevents accidents due to brake issues, signal light issues, and engine overheating.
Moreover, it saves the company costs as preventive maintenance is always cheaper than major repairs.
2. Route profiling
Using the GPS trackers in the fleet management system, fleet managers can profile common routes of their vehicle’s journey every day.
For example, some vehicles have a lower tolerance for battered and bumpy roads than other cars. Some streets are flood-prone and unpassable after medium to heavy rains. Other roads are uphill while some are downhill.
Fleet managers can profile these roads to help drivers determine which route is best to take based on their vehicle’s condition.
Vehicles being beaten by bumpy roads regularly or crossing gutter to knee-deep flood during typhoons wear easily and require maintenance more frequently.
It prolongs the life of your vehicle, at the same time, prevents accidents.
3. Blind spot monitoring system
Trucks and lorries have tons of blind spots. Accidents will happen no matter how careful truck drivers are if the smaller vehicles drive by near the blind spots of the truck.
The blind spot detection monitoring system uses a blind spot detection sensor installed in the side mirrors or car bumpers that helps detect the presence of a vehicle or pedestrian in the blind spot. These sensors alert the driver by sound or visual warnings.
These sensors are not only the best when driving big cars on a busy road. Many fleet managers find the blind spot detection monitoring system helpful when parking your vehicle.
Having a blind spot detection sensor is functional and can prevent accidents when switching lanes only if the driver pays attention to the warnings and alerts of the system.
Having a vehicle fit for a busy highway increases the safety of the driver, passengers, and other people they share the road with.
Another way fleet managers can improve road safety is to ensure their drivers that they are fit for the road. And yes, a fleet management system can help make it possible.
How To Improve Road Safety By Ensuring The Well-being Of Drivers
Human error is the number one cause of road accidents. Many people lose their lives or impair their quality of life due to distracted driving, drunk driving, reckless driving, and speeding.
It is a challenge for fleet managers to ensure their drivers do not belong to the group of reckless drivers. Thankfully, a driver monitoring system helps them keep track of their drivers’ behaviours on the road.
Here’s how a driver monitoring system improves driver safety:
1. Drowsiness detection system
It is a golden rule for drivers to have plenty of sleep a day before their long journey. It guarantees they are well-rested once behind the steering wheel.
A sleepy driver is less alert and unfocused on the road. Much worse, they get blurry vision and even close their eyes whilst driving. These things could lead to road accidents.
A drowsiness detection system helps recognise the signs of an exhausted driver. Firstly, the system recognises the steering wheel pattern of the driver.
An alert driver drives steadily; hence the steering pattern is steady. A fatigued driver swerves and changes lanes more abruptly and frequently. The drowsiness detection system recognises this unsteady pattern. The system alerts the driver about the situation and recommends taking a break.
An advanced driver monitoring system uses a camera that monitors eye and facial movements. It tracks visual cues, such as frequent blinking of eyes, rapid eye movement, and yawning.
2. Speed reports
Afleet management system has trackers that record the vehicle’s speed and send the reports in real-time. It documents the car’s speed on routes, takes note if it exceeds the speed limit, and calculates the car’s average speed during the entire journey.
The speed reports help fleet managers identify which drivers are hustlers on the road who ignore speed limits. They can use the information to suspend or relieve over-speeding drivers or take them to drive lesson courses. Hence, removing another reckless driver on the road.
3. Driver scorecards
Fleet managers struggle to measure the performance and behaviour of their drivers on the road. Thankfully, a driver monitoring system has driver scorecards– the key performance indicator for drivers.
This system records the speed, the number of sharp turns, abrupt swerving, harsh brakes, rapid acceleration, and ignored road signs and traffic lights, using smart sensors and dash cameras.
Fleet managers can assess their driver’s performance and behaviours using these scorecards.
Conclusion
Purchasing and installing a smart fleet management systemis a good investment for fleet managers. Not only does it improve road safety, but it also reduces legal fees and repair costs due to road accidents.
Guardian South East Asia
Guardian South East Asia provides a fleet management and driver monitoring system perfect for fleets. Visit Guardian South East Asia today.