As one Geotab employee that works within the production department explains:

“I am encouraged to have a Geotab unit in my personal vehicle, as the company uses the data for testing and for making improvements to MyGeotab. While I never really thought of the ways it could potentially benefit me directly, I was hit with the realization that I could benefit from the technology after I experience an unexpected incident.”

The employee was driving a company-owned vehicle that did not have a unit installed, when a major on-road collision occurred which resulted in the vehicle having to be written off. According to this individual:

“It would have been a huge comfort for me to be able to download the accident data to show both my employer and the court exactly what had happened, as well as allowing them to review my driving habits prior to the accident.”

Because of this experience, the employee explores more telematics features, such as setting speed limit alerts, harsh-cornering alerts, and in-vehicle buzzer alerts for occurrences such as rapid acceleration and braking.

“It’s actually training me to drive more steadily and securely than I used to…. as soon as I hear the speed warning, I’ll engage cruise control and have one less thing to concentrate on. It has sort of become an unconscious challenge to drive in such a way that I never hear any beeps from the system at all. I’ve begun to notice that when I’m driving someone else’s vehicle, it now stresses me somewhat that I have to pay strict attention to the speed limit because my unit is not doing that for me. I guess I’ve become a little spoiled!”

Although the preferences in this case were entirely self-motivated, it highlights the fact that telematics means different things to different people. To safeguard your on-road assets – especially during a road collision – Geotab recommends developing a pro-active action plan that is measurable.