Beyond the Leaderboard: Why Your Driver Rewards Program Isn't Creating Lasting Safety

As a fleet manager, you’re committed to safety. You’ve likely invested in tools and apps that promise to make your drivers safer, often using gamification with points, badges, and leaderboards. But are you seeing real, lasting change in driver behavior? Many of today's gamified safety solutions fall short. They might generate a short-term buzz, but they don't address the fundamental, underlying behaviors that predict and prevent collisions. The reality is, you can't just gamify your way to a world-class safety culture. It's time for a more scientific approach.

The problem with points and badges

The core issue with many reward programs is that they are based on a flawed premise. They often let fleet managers define what constitutes a "safety event," and which events should receive the highest weight, rather than scientifically targeting the subtle driving habits that are the true precursors to collisions. This means you might be rewarding drivers for avoiding harsh braking, but missing the patterns of behavior that data science tells us have the highest likelihood of causing a collision.

The result? Once the novelty of gamification wears off drivers may revert to old habits, and you're left with a disengaged team and no real improvement in your risk profile. You're trying to reduce collisions and keep drivers safe, not just check a box on safety events.

You can't manage what you don't measure

Your fleet may have a good safety record, but could it be even safer, if given the right tools? Hidden risks exist within your fleet, rooted in driver behavior that traditional telematics and gamification can't see. To truly build a culture of safety, you need to move beyond reacting to past incidents and start predicting and preventing future ones.

This is where the science of behavioral change comes in. By combining the power of telematics data with proven behavioral science, we can move from simply reporting on the past to actively influencing the future.

A new paradigm for fleet safety

Geotab has always believed that safety is a science, and when it comes to ‘driver safety’ - the solution requires an approach that specifically targets human behavior. That's why they partnered with Vitality, a global leader in behavioral science, to create Geotab Vitality. This isn't just another rewards app. It's the first solution that uses telematics data to generate a predictive collision risk score personalized for every driver, and behavioral science to drive targeted, proactive improvements in safe driving habits.

Here's how it's different:

• Predictive, not reactive: We use an AI-based model, informed by the largest commercial telematics dataset in the world, to identify and address risky behaviors before they lead to an incident. We don't just report on what went wrong; we help prevent what could happen next.
• Personalized and proactive: We provide drivers with personalized feedback, achievable goals, and positive rewards to inspire lasting change. It's about empowering your drivers, not just tracking them.
• Proven results: Our approach is backed by over a decade of research into driver behavior. The Vitality Drive insurance program has seen members have 55% fewer claims and significantly lower road fatalities compared to national averages. Drivers using Geotab Vitality can see a 15% improvement in driving behavior within the first 30 days, and a 24% reduction in collision frequency. And we’re just getting started. 

The future of fleet safety is positive

For too long, fleet safety has relied on the "stick" - penalizing bad behavior. But punitive approaches breed resentment and only lead to temporary compliance. The future of fleet safety lies in the "carrot" - using positive reinforcement to inspire a culture of safety across your entire fleet.

It's time to start using a scientific, data-driven approach that delivers real, lasting results. It's time for Geotab Vitality.