Using the eyes of others

The on-board FM systems being used in South Africa are quite remarkable but since we're talking in this article of improving driver effectiveness and eliminating risky behaviour, there is a simple, cost effective solution that uses the eyes of other road users to monitor driving behaviour. It doesn't have the other built-in add-ons of a fully fledged FM system but Drive Report does have its definite advantages.

"While modern electronic Fleet Management systems offer accurate, real-time information on vehicle location and engine status, they are unable to deliver a truly accurate picture of the on-road behaviour of drivers and vehicles," says Drive Report's managing director, Louis Swart.

"Dangerous lane changes or travelling at 80km/h in a 60km/h zone will go undetected by management, effectively placing the entire organisation at risk, be that from serious accidents or simply a tarnished company reputation," he adds.

Drive Report is a system which links South Africa's vast national network of cell phone users to a dedicated 24/7 call centre, allowing them to report any untoward or unsafe driving practices of fleet vehicles marked with the highly visible Drive Report sticker, displaying the 0860 555 999 number. All reported incidents are logged by Drive Report and processed through its powerful driver-profiling software, giving fleet managers detailed intelligence on every driver in the fleet.

"With real-time response to on-road incidents using SMS and email messaging to key management personnel, Drive Report gives fleet operators the power to pro-actively reduce incidents of dangerous driving and vehicle abuse while transmitting a strong message of social responsibility to other road users."

The Drive Report web server gives fleet managers on-line access to comprehensive statistical reports on individual, branch and group driver and vehicle behaviour.

"The close scrutiny of millions of road users has proved to be a powerful incentive for drivers to perform at their best. While driver counselling and training needs are effectively addressed, Drive Report also awards those drivers who have elicited favourable reports from callers."

With a registration fee of under R100 and a monthly cost of around R30 per vehicle, the reporting and driver profiling strengths of Drive Report certainly assist in helping reduce risky driving and vehicle abuse, ultimately cutting costs.