How driver behaviours impact your bottom line
- The way your drivers perform will clearly strongly influence
- their safety
- the safety of other road users
- your vehicle maintenance costs
- your insurance premiums
But there’s another reason, often neglected, why you need to ensure that your drivers are trained to the highest levels of driving competence. It’s a reason that is more prevalent at the start of 2022 than ever before – the cost of fuel. In the last 20 months, fuel prices in Europe have risen by approximately 40%, reaching record levels.
By improving the driving performance of your drivers and encouraging them to drive in an energy-efficient manner, you can reduce your company’s fuel consumption by at least 25 percent. This, of course, also has the added benefit of cutting your CO2 emissions.
So, what does driving in an energy-efficient manner look like? How can driver performance reduce fuel costs? In summary, you need to train your drivers to –
- drive at their vehicle’s optimum speed – ‘knowing’ their vehicle and, where appropriate, using cruise control.
- use their brakes cautiously – anticipating events ahead so that they can brake gently and gradually.
- reduce idling times – encouraging drivers to turn off their engines if they’re stationary for over a minute.
- plan their routes efficiently.
- keep aware of traffic conditions ahead and be prepared to adjust their routes.
But improving driver performance is only half the story. You also need to apply driver behaviour monitoring. AddSecure has all the in-vehicle technology you need to make sure that your investment in recruiting and training your drivers brings you the best possible fuel-saving benefits.
Whether the size of your fleet, there are effective measures you can take immediately to help you reduce those all-important fuel costs.
Educate your drivers
Training your drivers to understand fuel consumption will be your most important step. A one-off session will never be enough. The training needs to be structured and repeated at regular intervals so that fuel-wise driving becomes an ingrained habit.
One way to motivate your drivers to be more aware of the value of fuel-efficient driving is to introduce an element of competition. Consider introducing programs that reward the best driving performance. Set goals and rankings and update your drivers on how they can improve their driving skills.
Don’t make the mistake of looking at driver training as an expense. Think of it as an investment – one that will help realise your company’s cost-reduction goals. You will inevitably find that this approach will also enable you to attract and retain new drivers. Your company will gain a reputation within your sector that drivers will want to be a part of.
Tips for fuel-saving driving
- Slow Down and Drive Conservatively
Speeding increases fuel consumption and decreases fuel economy. This happens as a consequence of tyre rolling resistance and air resistance. While vehicles reach optimal fuel economy at different speeds, mileage efficiency usually decreases rapidly at speeds over 80 kilometres per hour. Reducing your speed by just 10 kph can improve fuel economy by up to 15%. Just as important – whenever possible, avoid harsh braking. Modulating driver speed and anticipating problems, dangers, or obstructions on the road ahead can result in considerable fuel savings. - Offer your drivers direct feedback
It’s not always easy for drivers to recognise ways of conserving fuel while driving. However, by providing in-vehicle feedback through a system such as the AddSecure ADAS kit, you can improve fuel economy by as much as 11%. - Don’t leave the engine running when the vehicle is stationary
Idling times make a dramatic impact on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. If the vehicle is stationary for more than 60 seconds, then train your drivers to switch the engine off. - Optimise routes
Planning your routes carefully can save plenty of time, fuel and money. Keep your route planning software up to date. Take into account too traffic conditions too. - Check tyre pressures
Worn tyres or tyres that are not adequately inflated can make a big difference to fuel consumption. Encourage your teams to regularly check their vehicles’ tyre pressure and condition. - Regularly maintain your vehicles
Performing regular checks and services can make a considerable difference to fuel costs. An engine that runs smoothly and efficiently will almost always use less fuel than those that don’t receive the same degree of care.
You can try flipping this scenario around. Use fuel consumption as an indicator of a vehicle’s condition. For example, do you find that certain vehicles experience wild fluctuations in fuel consumption? This could be a sign that all is not well with the engine.
Cut fuel costs with Driver Performance Solutions
There’s no better way to enhance your drivers’ performance levels than by empowering them to drive with greater care.
The Driver Monitoring System ADAS Kit from AddSecure is a comprehensive status warning solution designed to monitor complex road situations and driver behaviour in the cabin to help prevent accidents up ahead. The software will also keep drivers aware of their contribution to keeping fuel costs low.
ADAS features and benefits include:
- 1080p front-facing camera
- Driver facial recognition system
- Dedicated display alerts the driver whenever the system detects a potential hazard
- Improves safety for your drivers and reduces the risk of costly incidents
- Can be used with an AddSecure system to create a secure, closed loop for data gathered by the kit and access your data remotely from your devices
- Provides a range of warnings for the driver and operator, including Fatigue, Distraction, Lane Departure, Forward Collision, Distance Monitoring, Pedestrian Detection and more
- Ideal for use with AddSecure’s FHD 1080p DVR range
AddSecure is at the forefront of Driver Performance solutions. We’re Europe’s leading provider of driver behaviour technology.
Keep your drivers and other road users safe. Minimise your fuel costs and your CO2 emissions.
Contact us today!