25-10-2012

In previous Van Compare posts we have brought to your attention the emergence of in-cab telematics, which record driver behaviour in a bid to eliminate bad habits which may be responsible for accidents, reduced fuel economy and ultimately an increase in van insurance premiums.

The latest development at Greenroad, the company responsible for creating the in-cab telematics hardware, is the launch of a ground breaking fleet driver monitoring system which is entirely smartphone based, eliminating the requirement for in-built hardware.

The Greenroad Smartphone Edition, codenamed Asimov, is expected to cost in the region of £12.50 a month per unit, and makes use of smartphone functionalities such as GPS and built-in accelerometers to accurately measure and record the behaviour of drivers.

The Asimov app measures the habits of drivers against five criteria, including acceleration, braking, cornering, speeding and lane handling, providing the driver with instant audio and visual feedback, as well as recording the data for analysis after the journey is complete. Another feature is the ability to prevent the driver making or receiving calls while the vehicle is moving.

Initial testing of the app has shown that the device can improve driver safety by 50% to 90%, as well as increasing fuel efficiency by anywhere from 3% to 15%.

It is anticipated that the predominant market for the app will be those businesses with vans on short-term leases, as a cheaper alternative to investing in the installation of telematics hardware. With smartphones already used by up to a third of fleet drivers, the additional cost of the app will only be very small.

Research has shown just how effective the mobile software can be, with 45% of the drivers questioned admitting to being passionate about achieving top scores in terms of driving efficiency. A further 40% said they would do all they could for a quiet life, and if that meant achieving high driving scores to ensure they were not summoned by their superiors to explain driving techniques that breached safety or efficiency, then they would be happy to oblige.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to reduce the expense of van insurance premiums across your fleet, then contact Van Compare today. We’ll help you find the best value cover available online.