Just because commercial drivers can’t incur the high costs of speeding fines doesn’t mean businesses aren’t suffering the actual price of reckless driving behaviour.
For example, in May this year, numerous motorists filed police reports against a truck driver who was endangering the lives of road users on the N11 in Mpumalanga. A motorist recorded the truck recklessly overtaking several vehicles at high speed, including other large trucks. The driver eventually hit and damaged a trailer attached to a white bakkie but continued to speed away until the police stopped and arrested him.
Here are some ways fleet managers can proactively prevent drivers from falling into the trap of driving recklessly and speeding while the city’s traffic cameras are offline.
Fleet managers can enrol drivers in training, development, and support programmes that will equip them with the skills they require to improve their driving behaviour while adding value to the companies they drive for.
Driver programmes, like MasterDrive, offer truck drivers world-class safety and efficiency training that will help them mitigate accidents and increase productivity.
Although this technology fills the current gap created by offline speed cameras, it can be as effective when the city’s speed cameras are back online by reminding drivers to reduce their speed.
This technology has shown so much promise in reducing road accidents and reckless driving behaviour that Ford recently trialled connected geofencing technology that could one day automatically reduce a vehicle’s speed in line with the geofenced zone.
Fleet managers and drivers can create safer driving conditions by pairing telematics technology with AI-based vehicle video cameras, like CAM 50. This technology identifies risky driving and delivers real-time audio and visual warning alerts when the driver speeds, brakes or steers harshly. It also sends feedback to the driver when engaging in distracted driving behaviour that endangers the lives of other road users.
Drivers navigate countless factors on our country's roads, and offline speed cameras are just another item on that list. As a result, fleet managers are under immense pressure to protect employees while making sure they drive responsibly. Thankfully, fleet managers have access to countless solutions that encourage safe driving behaviour and protect South African road users.