A new survey of 267 commercial fleet professionals by Linxup found that 77% of drivers believe the benefits of fleet safety technology outweigh privacy concerns.
Protection when something goes wrong was the top priority for 29% of respondents, followed by fewer accidents at 27%. Nearly half of field service professionals said they or a coworker had been involved in an accident where dash cam footage or GPS tracking helped with an insurance claim or legal dispute.
The survey also found that safety practices can affect employee retention and customer relationships. Seventy-six percent of respondents said their employer's approach to safety influences their decision to stay, while 61% said customers have cited safety practices as a reason for doing business with their company.
Formal safety programs were associated with greater use of safety technology. Respondents at companies with formal programs reported GPS tracking adoption of 80% and dash camera adoption of 68%. The survey also found that 82% of respondents said tying pay or bonuses to safety scores would motivate them to improve their driving performance.
At the same time, 73% said real-world job demands make it difficult to drive efficiently at least some of the time. More than 72% said their employer has explained how GPS tracking or dash cameras affect insurance coverage, highlighting the role of communication when implementing fleet safety technology.
