UK Statistics relating to road accidents involving goods vehicles make sober reading.
The Department for Transport reports that in 2007, 25,308 goods vehicles were involved in reported personal injury road accidents and the total number of casualties per HGV accident had been almost steady since 1979.
In complex cases issues of road accident compensation merge with the work accident laws and employers can be found negligent. So a driver of an employer can claim road accident compensation through the work accident compensation insurance policy of that employer. Also any other road-users or passengers who suffer personal injuries in a road accident as a result of this same negligence can have compensation paid out by the negligent employer.
So how can GPS vehicle tracking help employers?
1. Tracking driver hours in real time
GPS software can track hours worked in real time. This allows you to manage driving hours and liaise with drivers including through our integrated Garmin solution. Real time data includes:
- Vehicle usage
- Single driver hours
- Multi-manning i.e. where 2 drivers share a vehicle
So a real time individual driver timesheet will show you:
- Break duration & hours worked prior to each break. So you know drivers receive their entitled break period and this is uninterupted.
- View recorded information showing the length of breaks if they are split between work periods and therefore comply with regulation or not.
- You can also see daily, weekly and fortnightly driving limits are not exceeded. Plus you can see whether journeys are made on public highways or not i.e. qualifying as driving or ‘other work.’
- Timesheets can be shown for each driver in a multi-manning scenario.
- Continuous daily and weekly rest periods in real time.
2. Recording unforseen events
Unforseen events can be recorded through Juniper Innovations’ integrated Garmin devices through driver input or using shortcodes. This gives a real time record showing how and why a driver reached a suitable stopping place ensuring the safety of the drivers, vehicle or load. So for example this shows near to real time recording of information in line with severe weather, road traffic accidents, mechanical breakdowns, interruptions of ferry services and any event that causes or is likely to cause danger to the life or health of people or animals. This gives added credibility that employers were not in fact scheduling work to enable compliance with the applicable driving break rules. Plus new timesheet and planning information shows how work was rescheduled due to the disruption.
3. Tracking a vehicle’s speed in real time
Knowing about driver performance based on road type, weather conditions and time of day or night in real time can help manage and reduce driving risks. Drivers can be communicated with and managed regardless whether they remain in one vehicle or switch vehicles as real time data is sent in either scenario. Since Juniper Innovations’ systems also record this information in report format it is easily accessible ready for driver de-briefs and training.
In the event there are tachograph failures this information is still recorded.
4. Tracking a vehicle’s location
Using these systems you know where a vehicle:
- Is located.
- The direction it is heading in.
- Where it has been.
- The destination proximity and expected time of arrival.
- That the driver is following a route planned for an HGV by a Garmin device.
This all allows delivery schedules to be managed in real time. So for example it allows risk to be managed where:
- A driver is running late i.e. so delivery times can be managed or the driver can be communicated to via Garmin, to manage driving stress associated with on time delivery.
- Unnecessary mileage and driving time is reduced e.g. through drivers manually selecting the wrong motorway roads, heading in the wrong direction or being unable to find a delivery address or suitable stopping/rest point.
5. Use real time data to ensure duties are performed safely
An employer must ensure that all employees are trained and supervised so that they’re able to perform their work duties safely. Using Juniper Innovations’ GPS systems this means more effective management and recording systems. For instance ensuring that employees who are required to use a vehicle:
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Are able to drive effectively e.g. they are not suffering from fatigue by not taking their allowed rest breaks.
- Have adequate time in which to complete jobs e.g. managing delivery time slots and expected arrival times.
In addition using data capture devices such as smartphones, PDAs, EDAs or even digital pens vehicle safety check records can be completed:
- Electronically.
- Data passed to central systems in real time.
- Captured information can include completed forms, signature capture, photographs of issues and mapping data to show where forms were signed and photographs taken.