WITH more commercial vehicles on our roads, up 16.4% in the last five years, comes higher fuel consumption, more fatalities, crashes and poor driving, with heavy vehicles disproportionately involved in casualty crashes.
One solution that goes a long way to mitigating these issues is improving driver behaviour through the installation of telematics – telecommunications and informatics systems, says provider Euclidic Systems.
This is supported by studies from the Transport Research Laboratory, which shows that a one-kilometre-per-hour reduction in speed leads to a 3% drop in accidents.
Telematics technology produces myriad data variables to monitor live and historical journeys, as well as location information integrated with Workplace Health and Safety and National Heavy Vehicle compliance systems.
Real-time alerts track maintenance requirements, harsh braking, dangerous cornering, idling time, seat belt-use and rest breaks. Remote disable systems track portable assets such as containers, trailers and cargo.
Chris Witt, CEO of Euclidic Systems, a developer of telematics technologies said, “The technology is gold-standard, with the latest data around every business imperative, from environmental impacts to customer service.
“But often it’s just left in a drawer. Companies invest in the latest technology to comply with the regulations and tick the compliance box. Then it’s ignored.
“There’s little monitoring, management or training, which is exactly what the technology is designed to encourage.”
The benefits of using the technology are potentially life-saving: fewer accidents, improved safety, driver and passenger protection, reduced fuel consumption, maintenance and servicing.
Euclidic Systems was founded in 2015 through start-up business Plantcom. Today, Euclidic has a technology partnership with its strategic investor partner, Intelematics Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal Automobile Club Victoria.
“The company may be new, but it’s made up of seasoned veterans, who have all been at the forefront of vehicle-tracking systems since their emergence in the late 1990s,” Mr Witt said.
“Euclidic has developed proprietary technology that streams and analyses telematics data for on-road and off-road assets. This includes Sat Trakka, a 4G and satellite-tracker for assets ‘off-the-beaten-track’ as well as geo-fencing systems to monitor on and off-road assets.”
