SmartDrive’s safety solution saves operators money, while helping to protect their drivers, passengers and fleet
Operators go to great lengths to ensure their vehicles offer passengers the best possible experience, and with vehicle improvements – such as on-board wi-fi and contactless payments – becoming increasingly popular, SmartDrive’s video safety solution ensures the driving is up to scratch as well.
While the main focus is to advance safe driving, it also delivers a solid return on investment – helping to save on fuel, reduce insurance premiums and injury claims, and save on vehicle wear and tear.
How it works
SmartDrive’s SmartRecorder is a compact, yet robust system that can integrate with existing on-board CCTV and comprises both a forward-facing and interior-facing camera.
It is a driver behaviour system that is triggered by unusual driving patterns, such as hard braking, swerving, or speeding. When such a manoeuvre takes place, a 20-second video event clip is captured and offloaded instantly via the cellular network to SmartDrive’s response centre, for expert review and analaysis.
The forward-facing camera reveals what was going on outside the vehicle before, after, and during the incident, while the interior camera shows what the driver was doing when the incident took place and, in many instances, depending on camera positioning, what was happening with passengers at that time.
Integrated GPS means the location of the incident is shown, as well as the speed of the vehicle, and a built-in microphone captures event related audio.
It therefore provides operators with the complete picture: Revealing what has happened during an incident and, in the majority of cases, why it happened.
An operator can then use the SmartDrive Response Centre to get fast access to the video, allowing them to react in a timely manner and have their vehicle back up and running as quickly as possible if the incident has taken it off the road. It is also extremely beneficial when dealing with insurance claims, to exonerate not-at-fault drivers.
Driving behaviour
As well as accessing the video to see what has caused the incident, the system can also be used proactively to identify improvement opportunities in employees’ driving and to manage the driver coaching process.
Operators can prioritise which risky driving behaviours they deem to be the most serious, such as mobile phone use, not wearing a seatbelt, and breaking speed limits.
Each driver is scored, on a consistent scale, by SmartDrive’s expert reviewers, each time the captured video shows them carrying out such acts. Thus a driver who continuously used their phone, for example, would receive a high score, and the respective videos would automatically be put into a coaching queue, which the operator can access online. The issue can be raised with the driver, using the video evidence.
Rather than using it as chastisement, it can be used in a positive and constructive way by providing the opportunity to engage in an open discussion with the driver, instead of debate and argument.
It also means that drivers with a low score can be recognised and rewarded for their safe driving. Drivers can also install an app so they can monitor their own individual driving scores.
The fact that drivers are aware that the system is installed in their vehicle also encourages best driving practices.
Driver exoneration
Being blamed for an accident that wasn’t their fault is every driver’s nightmare, and having to take responsibility for a bogus insurance claim is an operator’s.
As well as promoting and improving safer driving, the system can be used to exonerate not-at-fault drivers.
With SmartDrive’s programme, these claims can be reduced because it provides proof of what happened inside and outside of the vehicle, offering a clear picture of what caused the incident.
However, if the video does show fault, the situation can be resolved quickly and operators can take the necessary steps to improve safety among their drivers to reduce the likelihood of it happening again.
Peace of mind
It can also help cut false personal injury claims, since the footage can be used to prove whether or not a passenger was on the vehicle when an incident took place, or if the vehicle was actually involved in a collision.
Operators can feel satisfied that if one of their vehicles is involved in an incident that wasn’t their driver’s fault, there is the evidence to prove it. There is also a button on the bottom of the recorder for drivers to manually activate it, should they feel the need to – again creating a safer working environment.
Improve driving
As well as potentially saving money on false or not-at-fault insurance claims, SmartDrive can also help operators save on fuel and vehicle wear and tear, and be more environmentally friendly.
Driving patterns that aren’t fuel efficient or are damaging to vehicle parts, such as hard acceleration and hard braking, are flagged up and can be brought to the attention of the driver. They may not even be aware that they are driving in that manner, so the programme is an ideal coaching tool that can be used to improve individual performance.
The benefits of having SmartDrive’s video safety programme on-board coaches and buses are undeniable, and it offers a solution that is flexible and unique to each operator, allowing a choice of level of protection that’s right for them.
