Telematics is helping to shape driver behavior with real-time feedback. Nearly everything is more fun if it is organized as a game or competition. Driving is no exception. Gamification of driving safety adds a new dimension and competition (personal and peer) that benefits the company.
To successfully influence driver behavior, it is important to use a combination of monitoring, feedback, and morale-building gamification. In the past, Telematics was primarily used for tracking routes and improving productivity. Telematics is now focused on reducing risk and looks at safety factors including:
- How much time is spent idling
- How hard the driver is accelerating
- How fast the driver is taking corners
- If the driver is wearing his/her seatbelt
- If the driver is carrying passengers
- Vehicle faults, accident notifications
In addition, telematics gives drivers real-time feedback as they are driving so they can correct errors immediately. To put telematics to its best use, fleet managers should use a three-pronged approach to improving and maintaining driver performance that includes:
- Begin with the data telematics devices provide
- Provide coaching and real-time feedback to drivers
- Use gamification to reward positive behaviors
Beginning With the Data
Before any other steps can be taken to improve driver performance, companies must first look at the data they are collecting from telematics devices. Data on acceleration habits, idle time, cornering, wearing seatbelts, and carrying passengers all need to be taken into account so that the fleet manager can put together a comprehensive assessment for the driver. Additional data such as fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance can be used to show drivers how their behaviors impact the bottom line. Telematics consistently supports the claim that a safer driver is a more efficient driver.
Providing coaching real-time feedback to drivers
Monitoring driver behavior alone won’t change risky behavior. Companies need to layer in coaching and real-time feedback to the drivers. Drivers need to know where they need to improve and how they can do it. The coaching needs to be tied to the overall goals of the organization as well as the KPIs used for tracking progress towards goals.
Gamifying the Process
Gamification is used to reward positive behavior. Telematics makes this process effortless as you can use the real-time data gathered to create scoreboards to keep track of performance. The drivers who perform the best and rise to the top of the scoreboard can then be rewarded with whatever kind of rewards you see fit. Monetary awards such as gift cards and employee of the month status are great options for recognizing drivers that both improve driver morale and increase motivation to perform better in the field.
In addition to having individual drivers compete against each other to receive prizes, you can also group together entire teams of drivers and judge them on a group basis. This gives the team incentives to keep each other accountable and promotes teamwork. Another positive aspect of gamifying the performance of drivers is that you can target specific goals that your company wants to meet and have your drivers compete to achieve that goal.
One important thing to remember when putting a plan in place is that everybody needs to be on the same page. If your drivers aren’t sure exactly how you measure their performance, they will have no way of knowing what to focus on improving. The same goes for the reward. If they aren’t aware of what they are playing for, they won’t have the same motivation that they would if they had a clear reward or goal. Celebrate wins and make sure leadership is involved and recognizes those who are demonstrating improved behaviors.
Telematics is an excellent tool for improving the performance and addressing bad habits. With the ability to collect data that current technology allows, you can keep track of nearly every relevant statistic and coach your drivers accordingly.
