Unsafe driving can lead to accidents, vehicles’ wear and tear, and, consequently, extra costs, affecting your bottom line negatively. If you are a fleet manager, you may have spent countless sleepless nights observing and monitoring drivers’ behaviors to ensure efficient and safe fleet operations.

However, using basic monitoring methods and traditional sensors falls flat when it comes to providing real-time data about drivers’ performance.

This is where a fleet management software system with embedded driver behavior analysis tools steps in. According to research I overviewed in 2018 by the Foundation of Traffic Safety (FTS), advanced driver analysis systems (ADAS) have the potential to eliminate risks of accidents by 40%.

AI dashcams, telematics systems, ADAS, and IVMS, all contribute to the safety of your fleet operations. They not only provide alerts during driving but also grant fleet managers complete visibility into their drivers’ performance in real-time. Such tools play a major role in preventing distracted driving, boosting vehicles’ lifespan, and enhancing decision making.

In this article, I will shine a spotlight on the importance of driver behavior analysis tools, walking you through the common driving issues and their impact on fleet safety and the best practices for maintaining the overall fleet functionality.

Let’s dig deeper!

Table of Contents

·      What Is Driver Behavior Analysis? And Why Is It Important?

·      From Data to Safety: Top Tools for Monitoring Driver Behavior

·      Examples of Common Driving Issues and Their Impact on Fleets

·      5 Steps to Foster a Culture of Safe Driving

·      Optimize your Fleet's Performance and Ensure Safer Operations with Afaqy

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What Is Driver Behavior Analysis? And Why Is It Important?

Driver behavior analysis is observing and monitoring how your driver performs while driving a vehicle. It can be split into two parts:

Performance Monitoring

Driver’s performance monitoring means to observe how drivers use your vehicle and whether they follow your guidelines while driving or not. It enables you to detect any bad driving habits such as using phones, smoking, harsh braking, excessive fuel usage, and sudden acceleration.  

Attentiveness Monitoring

Research has revealed that driving mistakes are the main reason behind 75% of accidents worldwide. Unintentional behaviors such as drowsiness, fatigue, and distracted or inattentive driving can threaten drivers’ lives, leading to accidents and financial losses.  

Therefore, monitoring tools such as cameras should be installed in vehicles to enable fleet managers to gauge how focused their drivers are and send instant alerts to them to stop or take a break when necessary.

In the past, driver behavior analysis was conducted primitively through traditional sensors or on-site observation. With the introduction of AI-driven driver behavior monitoring systems such as video telematics and AI dashcams, fleet managers are now able to gain real-time insights into all their drivers’ actions all on a single dashboard. This results in improved decision making and proactive responses to emergencies.  

Afaqy takes pride in providing the most advanced monitoring devices on the market with varied features and purposes to meet each business’s unique needs.

From Data to Safety: Top Tools for Monitoring Driver Behavior

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Modern driver monitoring tools have become indispensable to ensure safe and seamless fleet operations. From detecting head position, eye movement, and facial expressions to providing real-time data about driving behaviors such as speed, braking, tailgating, and harsh cornering, they offer full exposure to how drivers perform in vehicles.  

Here are some of these cutting-edge tools:

GPS

Unsafe driving patterns can be detected using advanced GPS trackers. By generating reports about low and high performing drivers, you can identify the drivers that need extensive training and improvement. This helps you deter any poor driving habits, eliminate accidents, maintain vehicles, and control fuel usage.

Afaqy’s Fleet management systems such as Fleet and AVL systems include first-rate GPS devices that provide accurate data about drivers’ performance, helping you optimize your fleet operations and ensure the highest levels of safety and security.

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AI Cameras

By utilizing machine vision (MV) and artificial intelligence, AI cameras send real-time data and analytics about drivers’ performance. By strategically placing them inside your vehicle, you can monitor your drivers’ actions behind the wheel. They alert you in case of any unusual activities to take prompt actions and prevent accidents or security threats.  

Moreover, some AI cameras come with infrared technology that allow for night vision capabilities to monitor your vehicles around the clock.

They also offer you the peace of mind by giving complete insights into everything related to your vehicle such as maintenance alerts, fuel usage, route optimization, resulting in reduced costs and maximized efficiency.  

At Afaqy, we integrate AI cameras with our fleet management solutions. This enables smooth data sharing between cameras and our systems in real time and offers fleet managers a holistic view of their vehicles.  

These all-inclusive surveillance systems provide valuable analytics and reports about drivers’ behaviors, helping you pinpoint any driving issues that may preclude the smooth flow of your fleet operations.  

Sensors

Sensors’ role in driver behavior analysis should not be overlooked as well. They greatly contribute to the process of collecting data about drivers’ performance and provide valuable insights. Sensors can be divided into two categories:

• Biometric Sensors: These sensors can track physiological responses, like heart rate and skin conductance. Changes in these metrics can indicate stress levels or drowsiness, providing more data about the state of the driver.

• Vehicle Sensors: Accelerometers and gyroscopes that measure speed, acceleration, and braking patterns are some of the key driving metrics. They identify hard driving practices leading to a higher chance of accidents or putting extra wear on the vehicle.

Overall, sensors can identify signs of drowsiness and send instant alerts through the fleet management system to allow for timely interventions to prevent accidents. They also help drivers adjust their behaviors if there are any deviations such as not using seatbelts, excessive speed, and distracted driving.

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Examples of Common Driving Issues and Their Impact on Fleets

According to the World Health Organization, 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. Also, as stated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 94% of vehicle crashes account for human error.  

When it comes to commercial vehicles, accidents not only mean life threats but also extra costs, damaged vehicles, delays in deliveries, and customer dissatisfaction, impacting the company’s overall revenue.  

Let’s highlight some of the common driving issues and their impact on your fleet operations:

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Distracted Driving

Using mobile phones while driving, eating, talking to passengers, or using any type of technology that requires typing or touching is considered distracted driving. If a driver is busy for even a second, it may lead to catastrophic results. Therefore, fleet managers should set safe driving protocols and penalize drivers if they do not comply.  

Speeding

Some drivers do ignore the speed limits that are set for driving or disobey the road speed laws. Over speeding can distract drivers from taking the necessary actions on the road. This definitely leads to serious traffic accidents. A study has shown that speeding can cause drivers to take the wrong directions, lose control of their vehicles, or not being able to identify the beginning of curves.

Thus, fleet managers should alert drivers in case of aggressive speeding and provide the necessary feedback and training to save lives and costs.

Fatigue

The reason behind more than 25% of collisions are drivers’ fatigue. As one of the most exhausting professions in the world, drivers should have enough sleeping so that they can drive for long hours and respond effectively to rapid transitions in traffic flow. Also, they should have enough times for breaks and rests.  

It is your responsibility as a fleet manager to make sure that your drivers are not tired, especially if your operations require long-distance travelling.

Non-compliance with Traffic Rules

Drivers should study traffic rules by heart and receive warnings if these rules are not followed appropriately. Not wearing seat belts, over speeding, harsh braking, using cell phones, and not responding to traffic signs can all put everyone on the road at risk. Traffic rules are set to ensure the safety of everyone and eliminate accidents.  

5 Steps to Foster a Culture of Safe Driving

In my professional opinion, accountability is ingrained in the culture! After elaborating on the common driving issues and the serious consequences they can bring to your whole fleet operations, let’s list some important strategies and techniques that help you deter such risks and create a safer driving culture:

Evaluate Your Safety Metrics

A very essential step to start with is to assess your safety metrics including accidents rates and their causes. By analyzing data and creating reports, you will be able to identify areas for improvement and take the necessary actions.

Administer Safety Policies

Setting safety protocols is crucial to spread awareness among drivers about the safest measures they should take. How to react in varied weather conditions, different roads, long and short trips, and adhering to traffic laws, all should have rules to follow. Also, educate them towards the right driving habits and prevent reckless and drowsy driving.  

Provide On-going Training

Conduct periodic training sessions for drivers to raise awareness about the safest driving behaviors. Drivers should also be trained in the use of advanced technology that monitors performance, sends them alerts, and enhances communication between them and their fleet managers.

Continuous education and coaching help you remind your drivers of the safety measures they should follow and foster a more efficient driving environment.  

Recognize and Reward Safe Driving

Develop incentive programs that recognize safe driving practices. Examples of such rewards are accident-free bonuses, public recognition in meetings, and small prizes for safety milestones achieved.

Adopt Advanced Technology

As technology is making significant strides into fleet related industries, using cutting-edge driver behavior analysis tools has become a necessity. They help fleet managers receive instant data about drivers and vehicles and aid drivers during their trips by sending safety alerts. Thus, make sure that your drivers can deal with these tools by providing the necessary coaching and training.

Optimize your Fleet's Performance and Ensure Safer Operations with Afaqy

By partnering with top hardware manufacturers and being supported by skilled in-house software developers, Afaqy prides itself on offering best-in-class fleet management solutions.

Understanding the importance of fleet safety for your company’s revenue and reputation, we integrate the most advanced driver behavior analysis tools into our systems to guarantee the safety and security you dream of.  

Talk to our experts today and let us take your fleets to new heights!

FAQs

What Is Driver Behavior Analysis?

Diver behavior analysis assesses a driver’s intentional and unintentional actions while using a vehicle, especially a commercial one. This analysis is often conducted using driving monitoring systems that detect any unusual behaviors and send alerts to fleet managers to act accordingly.

How Does a Driver Behavior Monitor System Work?

These systems use a mix of in-vehicle sensors, GPS technology, and accelerometers that come together to pick up data regarding real-time driving behavior. Analyzed for patterns and areas for improvement, the data could then be reported back to the fleet manager or driver.

What Metrics Do These Tools Usually Track?

Among commonly tracked metrics are:

• Speeding incidents

• Harsh braking and acceleration

• Idling time

• Fuel consumption

• Distance traveled

• Number of stops during a journey

What Are the Benefits of Driver Behavior Analysis Tools?

• Improved safety of drivers and other on-road people

• Savings of fuel and operational costs

• Better vehicle maintenance due to good driving habits

• Responsibility among drivers

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