Module I – Which safety metrics should you measure and monitor?
On the road to fleet safety, measurement matters. If you don’t know how drivers are performing, how can you improve fleet safety?
A sobering reality is that 87% of collisions are due to avoidable driver error. Government agencies know better than anyone how important it is to act with safety front of mind. The first step to improving driver safety and reducing fleet safety risk is understanding the safety metrics that are relevant to your fleet.
What are safety metrics?
Safety metrics are quantifiable measures that help assess and improve the safety performance of your agency’s fleet, like speeding, harsh driving and collision rates. They provide valuable insights into driver behavior, vehicle health and other critical factors that can have an impact on your fleet’s risk of collisions and injuries.
By tracking and analyzing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement, implement targeted interventions and create a safer work environment for your drivers and the public.
What are the key safety metrics fleets should measure and monitor?
Safety-focused fleets measure and monitor some or all of the following metrics. These metrics inform fleet managers of how drivers are behaving, the type of coaching drivers need and help fleets reduce their risk of collisions and other dangerous incidents.
However, most of these metrics are backward-looking. They can tell you which drivers are most at risk of getting into a collision, but they cannot predict when a collision might happen.
Advanced safety, exemplified by reduced collision rates, requires more eyes on the road than a driver can manage. Many government agencies are turning to telematics and machine learning to measure minor and major incidents and predicted collision risk, which you’ll learn about at the end of this list.
Did you know?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding was a factor in more than 12,000 fatalities in 2022, nearly 30% of traffic-related deaths.
Speeding
- What: Measures the number of times a driver exceeds the posted speed limit or a limit determined by the company.
- Where: Data is collected from the vehicle's GPS or engine control unit.
- Why: Speeding is a major contributing factor to collisions, as it reduces reaction time and increases stopping distance.
Webinar
Mastering the art of fleet safety
By measuring and tracking driver speeding, the City of Raleigh reduced monthly speeding instances by 65%.
Excessive or hard acceleration
- What: Measures the number of times a driver accelerates too quickly, potentially leading to loss of control or increased fuel consumption.
- Where: Data is collected from the vehicle's accelerometer.
- Why: Hard acceleration can increase the risk of collisions, especially in slippery conditions. It also wastes fuel and increases wear and tear on the vehicle.
Harsh braking
- What: Measures the number of times a driver applies the brakes suddenly and forcefully.
- Where: Data is collected from the vehicle's braking system.
- Why: Frequent harsh braking can indicate aggressive or distracted driving behavior, which increases the risk of collisions and increases wear and tear on a vehicle.
Did you know?
Distracted driving alone claimed 3,308 lives in 2022, according to the NHTSA.
Backing up when leaving
- What: Measures the number of times a driver backs up when leaving a parking space or driveway.
- Where: Data is collected from the vehicle's GPS and motion sensors.
- Why: Backing up is one of the riskiest maneuvers a driver can make, as it often involves limited visibility. Reducing the number of backing-up incidents helps prevent collisions and improve safety.
Minor and major incident detection
- What: Measures the frequency of collisions per distance traveled or number of vehicles in your fleet.
- Where: Data can be collected from advanced incident detection technology, vehicle data, collision reports or telematics devices.
- Why: Collision rates help you understand how often collisions are happening and identify trends or patterns that may indicate systemic safety issues. This information can be used to implement targeted interventions, such as driver training programs or route optimization.
Fleet collision risk or safety score
- What: An aggregate score that reflects the overall safety performance of your entire fleet. It has traditionally been calculated by combining individual driver scorecards, however there is a shift toward utilizing predictive collision risk scores.
- Where: Data is collected from various sources, including telematics devices, driver scorecards, collision reports and compliance records.
- Why: A fleet safety score provides a comprehensive view of your organization's safety performance, allowing you to track progress over time, benchmark against industry averages and identify areas for improvement. It can also be used to demonstrate [Agency Name]’s commitment to safety to stakeholders and the public.
Case study
Raleigh doubles safety scores
By monitoring vehicle usage and promoting safer, more responsible driving, the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, doubled its safety score from 40.5 to 82.2 over three months.
Driver-specific insights
- What: A numerical score assigned to each driver based on their overall safety performance, taking into account various metrics, such as aggressive driving, seat belt usage and speeding.
- Where: Data is collected from telematics devices and the fleet management platform generates a safety scorecard for each driver.
- Why: Driver scores provide a clear and objective way to assess driver performance, identify areas for improvement and encourage safer driving behavior. They can also be used to track progress over time and measure the effectiveness of safety interventions.
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AI-powered safety revolution for government fleets
Geotab’s research finds fleets that use driver scorecards often see behavior improve and collisions decline. However, these gains are often short-lived or reach a plateau and resist further efforts at improvement. To continue to reduce collision rates after reaching a plateau, Geotab has found that predictive analytics helps take safety to the next level.
Predictive Collision Risk (PCR)
- What: Uses machine learning to predict the likelihood of a collision for each driver or vehicle by analyzing factors like previous driver behavior, vehicle purposes and usage rates, types of vehicles, environmental elements such as average precipitation rates, and route disruptions, like construction work. In addition to the risk rate, benchmarking against similar fleets and driver-specific insights help contextualize the data.
- Where: Data is collected from various sources, including telematics devices, cameras and environmental sensors.
- Why: By identifying possible risks early, managers can intervene before those risks become problems, predictive collision risk technology can help fleets lower their overall risk and create a culture of safety.
Did you know?
Regular users of the Geotab Safety Center have seen a 5.5% reduction in predicted collisions, indicating that drivers are learning to improve their driving.
The road to fleet safety starts with measurement
The data is clear: the majority of collisions are preventable. As stewards of public safety, government agencies have a responsibility to lead by example and prioritize the well-being of both their employees and the public they serve. By embracing the power of safety metrics — from speeding and harsh braking to seat belt usage and predictive collision risk — you can illuminate the path toward a safer, more efficient and accountable fleet.
Remember, every data point represents a potential risk, and every intervention an opportunity to save lives. The journey to a collision-free future begins with the simple act of measurement. It's not just about numbers; it's about protecting your community and ensuring every driver returns home safely at the end of their shift.
Ebook
How local government agencies solve fleet challenges with telematics
With over 30,000 vehicles in its fleet, The City of New York has managed a 75% reduction in fatal traffic events over five years through telematics.
“We are currently tracking 22,000 vehicles real-time using telematics to monitor their speed, location, acceleration, braking, and by doing that prevent crashes from taking place.”
- Keith Kerman, Chief Fleet Officer, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Citywide Administrative Services
