In recent years, U.S. roads have gotten more dangerous, even with fewer vehicles on the road. To shed light on this important issue, Motive’s Gary Johnson, head of safety and compliance strategy, and Joe Vignolo, director of Content Marketing, recently hosted the 2023 State of Safety webinar. The session explores key findings from Motive’s State of Safety Report (download it here), along with tips on how fleets can improve fleet safety performance.
Here are some takeaways from the webinar.
95% of those surveyed said driver safety performance is a priority
On the surface, a stat like this sounds promising, and it is. However, a deeper dive reveals that as much as commercial fleets prioritize safety, it’s not always enough of one. When fleets ranked their top priorities for 2023, safety actually placed third.
“Safety is absolutely a priority,” Johnson observes. “However, is safety a priority or a value? Priorities change with the circumstances, but values never change. It’s really a matter of perception. Fleets should be clear on how they’re approaching safety and what their expectations are.”
Most fleets have invested in safety, but too many still haven’t
On the positive side, many fleets surveyed implemented new tools to improve safety last year, and others plan to invest before the year is over. However, the Motive State of Safety Report showed that many fleets are underinvested in driver safety initiatives and technology. Another 8% are “drastically underinvested.”
“It’s positive that more than half of respondents are staying on top of safety investments,” Johnson says. “However, it is alarming that you have some who say they’re still drastically behind.”
When dash cams use AI, fleet safety is even better
When fleets implemented dash cams, they improved safety and profitability in several ways. But adding artificial intelligence to the mix enhanced fleet safety even more.
“Artificial intelligence really helps take fleet safety to the next level,” Johnson says. By having the visibility of the camera and the intelligence of the technology, AI dash cams can identify and alert to unsafe driving behaviors with incredible precision.
As Johnson explains it, “The AI kicks in and says, ‘Yep, that behavior is unsafe. And because it’s unsafe, I’m going to give an in-cab alert and allow for self-coaching.’”
When unsafe events happen on the road, artificial intelligence is proactive, ensuring there’s an immediate response instead of a lagging response. “AI is such a key part of safety technology today,” Johnson says. “It’s one thing to invest in safety technology. It’s another to continue that investment as technology advances. Continuing your investment is really the key.”
Watch the webinar on demand for all the highlights from the 2023 State of Safety Report. And visit our driver safety page to learn more about the Motive AI Dashcam and other ways Motive products can help your business enhance fleet safety.
