What Is Video Telematics?

As recently as ten years ago, fleet management was pretty much hit or miss. If a fleet manager wanted to know a vehicle's location in real-time or even if it had arrived at its destination on time or at all, they had to wait until their drivers' check-in. GPS and telematics technology has revolutionized fleet management.

Telematics lets fleet managers optimize vehicle routes, track driver behavior, and locate their data in real-time. It also helps reduce operational and maintenance costs while increasing the overall safety of the fleet with both real-time and offline driver coaching. This has become the core of today's fleet management.

However, when it comes to technology, nothing stays stagnant. Telematics and fleet management are undergoing another seismic shift. Video not only lets fleet managers see what is happening inside and outside their fleet vehicles, but video telematics also helps make fleets much safer.

A study of over 10,000 crashes of heavy trucks and buses estimated that video telematics could lead to a 35% reduction in crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that bus and heavy truck fleets use video technology based on this study. The cost of accidents can quickly add up. In addition, accidents damage a fleet's reputation and employee morale. In some instances, it can cost a trucker their job.

This makes it easy to see why video telematics – the combination of video cameras with telematics — is taking the fleet management space by storm. Telematics data gives fleet managers information about where and when an accident has occurred. Telematics systems augmented with dash cams are a game-changer. With video telematics, fleet managers can see what caused an accident, exonerate a driver if they are not at fault, or keep it from happening again by developing a coaching program.

Here's a closer look at what video telematics is and why fleets are increasingly adopting this cutting-edge and ever-evolving technology.

What Is Video Telematics?

Let's begin with the basics: what is telematics? This technology monitors and collects a large amount of data from a vehicle, including its location via GPS tracking, fuel efficiency, vehicle diagnostics, odometer readings, brake use, over speeding, harsh acceleration, idling time, and impact. What does telematics do? Generally, all the data collected is accessible on a software platform for fleet managers to use when making decisions about their fleet.

So, what is video telematics? This technology combines video equipment with vehicle data and analytics to offer a more in-depth view of the fleet. Not only does it capture location data, but it also records everything that happens inside and outside the vehicle, such as driver behavior, other vehicles nearby, and the environment. The value of video lies in the context it provides for drivers' actions and road events as well as training opportunities.

Components of Vehicle Telematics

Today's video telematics generally share these basic components:

1. Several video cameras
2. Front-facing camera mounted to the dashboard or windshield
3. Rear-facing camera
4. Interior camera to document the driver and cabin, additional cameras for side views
5. Telematics technology either embedded in the primary camera or the standalone
6. Wireless module in the telematics device or camera to transmit data and video footage
7. Software platform to process and analyze data
8. End-user application

A video telematics system will use multiple cameras installed in fleet vehicles that simultaneously record so that if an incident occurs, it is captured automatically and uploaded for review by the fleet manager. The system combines video data with vehicle data. The camera system is connected to the vehicle's diagnostics port or hardwired.

The system captures video data in real-time and combines it with other data such as location, time, speed, g-forces, and a plethora of additional data from the diagnostic port. The data is encrypted, and an onboard modem uploads data to the cloud via satellite communication for storage and retrieval when needed.

The rise of video analytics combined with AI is accelerating the pace of innovation in fleet management telematics. Dash cams have transitioned from cameras that record to powerful sensors that process video in real-time and alert drivers and fleet managers when risky behavior occurs. This has led to a shift from reactive, after-the-fact coaching to proactive intervention before an accident occurs.

Features like driver distraction warnings are becoming increasingly critical to the day-to-day efficiency and safety of fleet operations. Advanced video telematics solutions include in-cab alerts, automatically save video, and generate driver and fleet scorecards and other reports.

6 Benefits of Video Telematics

The biggest benefit of video telematics systems is the insight they give fleet managers into the activities of their fleets. They can always see exactly what is happening from the driver's perspective and in real-time. Here are six benefits of video telematics for fleet managers.

1) Lower Operational Expenses

Exonerate fleet drivers and reduce the costs incurred from collisions. Road accidents often end up in protracted legal battles over claims. Video footage keeps drivers from being blamed unfairly and saves fleets millions in legal fees, liability, and reputational damages.

2) Provides the Bigger Picture around Incidents

Conventional telematics systems provide information about location, time, and vehicle speed. Questions such as, "Was the driver distracted?" or "Was the deviation from the path intentional?" or even, "Who was at fault?" remained virtually unanswerable. If the accident isn't the driver's fault, the video can exonerate them and save the fleet an untold amount in legal fees, liability, and reputational damage.

3) Helps Reduce Operational Expenses

In addition to the savings in accident cases where drivers are exonerated, there are substantial cost savings that implementing video telematics can offer fleets. This includes reduced traffic violations, lower vehicle maintenance costs, and lower insurance premiums. There have been a number of studies done that show a correlation between safe driving and better fuel efficiency. Fleet managers can't control gas prices but improving fuel efficiency will save fleets money.

4) Improves Driver Performance and Safety

In-cab alerts when a driver engages in dangerous driving behavior. These reminders help foster better driving habits, prevent accidents and reduce traffic violations. The videos can also be used in driver training.

5) Improves Driver Engagement and Retention

Although video telematics solutions were originally used to reduce accidents and other risky driving incidences, the technology is also used to create driver scorecards and recognition programs. Driver scoring and gamification let a fleet instill positive behavior in its drivers and build a culture that focuses on safety and compliance.

6) Improved Customer Service

When dispatchers and fleet managers know the location of their vehicles, they can respond quickly to traffic and road conditions by making route adjustments that keep deliveries on time. Telematics can also ensure customers know where their packages are in real-time, and video evidence can give them confirmation.

The Future of Video Telematics

Already a fast-growing segment of video telematics will experience explosive growth in the next few years. The return on investment on this technology makes it the standard safety checklist.

A few trends are emerging that may influence further developments in this technology. There is a gradual shift from aftermarket to direct OEM installations, where fleet vehicles will be pre-installed with the capability for video telematics. This will offer a deeper integration of video with data to create a more comprehensive solution.

AI will continue to permeate all aspects of video telematics, offering real-time alerts and automatically saving videos for review from the cameras around the vehicle. This will drive the development of 360-degree systems that integrate multiple cameras and record, process, and upload data to a central hub. Advanced analytics on driver and fleet performance will help generate actionable insights and increasingly effective driver coaching programs.

And eventually, advanced video telematics will no longer be only for large fleets but will filter down into the entire commercial fleet market, including owner-operators and small to medium fleets. One strong driver of advances in this technology is the continuing advances in AI technology.