ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 62
OPI N I O N
FLEET
CONNECTED TECH IS
F
or a local delivery company or
a regional service provider, a
minor accident can disrupt an
entire week. Beyond physical
vehicle damage, a collision
sidelines drivers, forces missed
appointments, damages
customer trust, and drains
valuable administrative hours.
Every vehicle in a small fleet represents
a critical share of daily revenue, meaning
any incident carries outsized operational
consequences.
Our recent survey of more than
1,800 European fleet managers reveals
the scale of those pressures. The UK
responses point to four strategies that
can help small and medium-sized (SME)
fleets secure their daily operations.
1. Shifting from reactive to
predictive safety
Traditional fleet safety relies on reaction.
An incident occurs, management reviews
the aftermath, and the fleet updates
its processes. Predictive safety uses
connected data to address risk before an
insurance claim occurs.
Long before a serious accident, drivers
usually leave a clear trail of behaviour
patterns, such as harsh braking,
tailgating, or sudden acceleration.
Because fleet managers are busy
juggling dispatch, inventory, and payroll,
these habits are easy to miss. Telematics
resolves this by converting raw driving
data into clear safety insights, allowing
managers to intervene early.
When paired with artificial intelligence
(AI)-powered cameras, the technology
can provide immediate context, showing
whether a sudden stop was caused by
driver fatigue, distraction, or a reckless
third-party.
This predictive approach was noted
as particularly valuable for 71% of the
surveyed UK small businesses struggling
with driver fatigue. 42% of freight and
service fleets using video reduced driver
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q4 2026
fatigue by up to 60%, and up to 83%
of fleets reported that overall crashes
dropped by more than 21%.
2. Using cameras for context,
protection and coaching
76% of surveyed UK fleets describe
in-cab video as 'very' or 'extremely'
beneficial, the highest of any connected
technology in the report.
Dashcam technology can address
dangerous behaviours that do not show
up in traditional claims data until a
major incident occurs. For example, video
solutions helped more than half (55%) of
freight fleets reduce driver distraction by
over 40%, while also improving seatbelt
compliance (41% to 60% improvement for
40% of fleets).
Despite these metrics, introducing
cameras requires careful handling.
Used well, video can provide context,
protection and fairer coaching, but how
it's introduced matters.
While it can protect drivers when they
are not at fault, support faster incident
reviews, and give managers clearer
evidence than incomplete information
or vague recollections, drivers may have
concerns if they feel it's being used only
to catch mistakes.
For some operators, outward-facing
cameras are a practical starting point,
as they avoid the concerns some drivers
have around in-cab recording.
The key is being transparent about
how footage will be used and educating
drivers on its benefits.
The same footage that provides
road context and protects drivers from
false claims can also document a theft
attempt, record a licence plate, or
provide evidence if cargo goes missing.
3. Controlling unauthorised use and
asset theft
Vehicle and cargo theft represent
a growing financial risk for smaller
