Fixing traffic with fleets
Knowing the example you’re setting without telematics
Here at Supervaisor we’re using crowds and machine learning to map traffic offences. We shared a little about the first ten thousand offences recently and will continue to increase transparency around traffic risk.
For example in an average day around 6% of the offences we see are committed by easily recognizable fleets (with familiar logos). These professional drivers spend a remarkable amount of hours in traffic and likely have a huge impact on traffic culture.
After seeing days where they make up to 25% of all the traffic offences we started digging into this a bit further. For example, following are the contributions to the top 12 list of offending fleets that we have seen in Tallinn, Estonia.
Note that these are not normalized to the fleet size so it doesn’t necessarily suggest that the first fleet has the worst drivers. It merely suggests that most of the offences that the public sees that involve fleets are by drivers that have that particular fleets logo on their cars. Looking at absolute volume of course is just the first step.
It might sound a bit like accusing Toyota for majority of accidents just because they sell the most cars, but at the same time the volume is a clear signal for who should care the most about their safety record and their impact to traffic culture. It’s obvious that Toyotas successes in safety technology would save more lives than say Fiats.
Adding the fact that last year ride-share and taxi drivers were involved in almost 5 times as many traffic accidents compared to the average (LKF data), perhaps the fleets’ responsibility in safe driving deserves more attention?
And here’s where it gets awesome! Unlike the Toyotas and Fiats of the world who have very few levers into the behavior of their customers given their single upfront transaction of purchasing a vehicle — the fleets on the other hand typically have a continuous employment relationship with those who drive their logos. Their drivers depend on them and have clear incentives to agree to the rules set by the fleets.
All fleets have to do is properly incentivize good driving.
Historically fleet owners had to install expensive tracking equipment in their vehicles or force the use of privacy infringing apps to have a chance to learn about driver safety and improve it. Given the low probability nature of accidents, that type of upfront cost was often difficult to rationalize and it was thus easy to understand many fleets not investing into this outside the need to optimise fuel costs. However times have changed!
Our recently introduced Fleet Safety and Brand Protection Program allows companies running fleets to sign up to regular updates on their fleets safety performance statistics as seen by the public eye and even receive video evidence of their drivers breaking the law. All that without installing any equipment or forcing your drivers to use privacy infringing software.
We’ve designed a fast feedback loop to incentivize drivers to improve their behavior. There is no need to wait for under-resourced police to catch offenders or insurance companies to hike up premiums post losses. We can save lives, save money and fix traffic today.
Imagine getting an email from your employer with a video of your red light violation earlier that day!
Not only is it extremely embarrassing, but the evidence can also be effectively used together with a rewards program where drivers who gamble with other people’s lives in traffic (and damage the brand) lose out on prizes or extra income available to those who drive safely and protect their employer’s brand.
Whether to create an annual safe-driver reward that is only received by those drivers who are not breaking traffic rules or to run monthly lotteries between the safe drivers really is up to the fleets.
It’s not only your fleets ecological footprint, but also your fleets behavioral and cultural footprint that you leave behind! Behavior of the majority becomes the behavioral norm and it’s time to think about the example your setting.
If you’re a citizen of Tallinn, then here’s your chance to easily report those logos breaking the rules with our app.
And if you run a fleet in Tallinn and you’re not part of our program yet, then it’s time to reach out and join our Fleet Safety and Brand Protection Program to drive this rapid change to the way we drive.
Sign up below and I’ll reach out.
