Video telematics refers to an integrated form of vehicle video technology that combines video data with vehicle data. One common way in which video telematics is utilised involves the placement of multiple cameras in and around the vehicle, linked to and managed via a telematics solution from a remote office.
You might be asking yourself why you need video telematics if you already have dash cams in your fleet. Essentially, a dash cam is the basic level of using video. It gives you some limited visibility in one direction but not a complete understanding of what is happening on the road. And this is where video telematics comes in.
Video telematics gives you fuller visual clarity, allowing you to see the full context of road incidents and helping you to improve safety and efficiency across your fleet.
Vehicle cameras systems in fleet management
As a fleet manager, the visibility offered by video telematics can be crucial to optimising operations. However, it’s important to understand its true value.
Video telematics is not about tracking every move your drivers make. It’s about gaining a fuller understanding of what is happening on the road so you can help your drivers to stay safe, reduce the frequency and cost of false insurance claims against them and maximise the efficiency of your overall fleet operation.
Essentially, telematics without video will tell you the who, where, when and what. Vehicle camera systems will also provide the how and why.
The benefits of video telematics
Some of the benefits video telematics can bring to your operations are:
- Insightful driver training
Pairing driving data with dashcam footage can be used to more effectively coach drivers to improve their behaviour on the road, helping them to visualise what constitutes good and bad driving habits and understand the consequences of both. The net result of all this is safer drivers, less accidents and a higher rate of driver retention.
- Improving driver safety
Video-based safety solutions like driver-facing AI (Artificial Intelligence) dashcams can detect various types of unsafe driving behaviour. They can then send an alert to the driver, signalling them to correct their course immediately. This prevents accidents.
- Lowering insurance costs
Video evidence helps prove liability for insurance claims causes such as junction/interaction accidents and sideswipe collisions, helping you reduce 50/50 claims frequency and avoid paying 50% of a false claim. As well as helping you to comply with First Notification of Loss (FNOL), quick access to video footage also resolves issues and complaints more effectively and accurately. All of this protects your company and drivers.
Guide to vehicle camera systems
There are different types of vehicle camera systems for commercial fleets. Some of these include:
- Traditional single lens cameras: Usually mounted on your vehicle’s windshield, it gives you footage of the road ahead.
- Dual lens camera: Same as a single lens camera, with the addition of an in-cab facing lens to capture the driver’s actions. Nowadays, AI is integrated into this type of camera and can help you identify unsafe driving behaviour, like tailgating. Artificial intelligence is also key when it comes to identifying if the driver is falling asleep, sending an alert in real-time.
- Multi camera systems: Mounted to provide a 360° view of your vehicle and surroundings.
Examples of this are under vehicle camera’s, hidden vehicle camera’s, onboard camera’s or vehicle rear view camera’s.
If you decide to add vehicle telematics to your fleet, make sure to integrate with premium telematics software that will unlock its full potential. The more accurate and insightful the data, the better decisions your organisation can take.
Webfleet Video combines dashcam footage with driving data to give you the full context of road incidents in real time. AI technology automatically identifies risky behaviour and notifies the driver, helping them avoid dangerous situations.
With footage from the road, your drivers get clear examples showing how they can drive safer and evidence to protect them against fraudulent insurance claims. It delivers higher levels of safety, lower premiums and less downtime, and can be configured to meet your specific privacy and compliance needs.
If you want to find out more about what Webfleet Video can do for you, speak to one of our safety expert here.