Driving Safety Forward: What are the Benefits of AI VEDR Telematics for Service Providers?

Delivery service providers are often responsible for delivering thousands of packages per week. Between managing delivery windows, driver availability, vehicle maintenance, and the day to day of normal operations, it can be easy for safety to become an afterthought. That is until accidents happen. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that there are over 400,000 injury and property damage accidents per year. Many of these accidents are preventable, often caused by factors such as driver distraction, fatigue, and risky driving habits. On top of immediate concerns for drivers’ wellbeing, this creates a liability risk for the company that can have a huge impact on the business. Driver safety and business health have made finding opportunities to operate more safely a top priority for carriers. 

New technologies have been adopted by many service providers with great success, including new driver onboarding, proactive safety programs, and camera monitoring systems. Since 2019, the number of accidents fell 3-5% per year according to the same FMCSA statistics. These numbers are the result of not just the direct benefits of technology, but how those technologies emphasize the importance of professional driving behaviors within organizations.

Implementing AI Vehicle Event Data Recorders (VEDR)

The latest push introduces AI event recognition to the road and cabin cameras that most providers use. AI VEDR telematics leverages the capabilities of artificial intelligence to enhance video and event monitoring, enabling real-time recognition of unsafe driving events.  

• • Monitors both the cabin and roadway to recognize unsafe driving events as they happen.  
  • Driver Safety Assistance (DSA) provides immediate feedback to drivers when unsafe events occur, such as close following, lane departure, and speeding violations. 
  • Captures video and vehicle data before, during, and after events for safety improvement and liability protection. 

From a driver’s perspective, AI VEDR acts as a virtual ride-along. It employs advanced camera systems to monitor both the driver’s cabin and the roadway, identifying risky behaviors and unsafe practices as they occur. This protects drivers, especially new drivers and any driver during high volume days, by keeping safety top of mind. Even the best, most experienced drivers are susceptible to the most common safety pitfalls, so having a backup reminder can be invaluable in keeping them safe on the road. 

For owners and managers, it provides peace of mind and improves their safety insights. In the past, once drivers left the station there was little visibility into what went on in the truck, and often the first time you would hear about an issue was in the event of an accident. AI VEDR can not only address and actively prevent unsafe driving behaviors with Driver Safety Assistance, but by recognizing trends in safety behavior, they can be addressed directly during safety briefs, reviews, and in-person coaching. 

Recognize Risks, Protect Profits

While dashcams are great if you want to see what occurred during an accident, it would be a whole lot better if the accident didn’t happen in the first place. With the majority of accidents resulting from driver distractions and fatigue, unless you’re doing a ride along it can be impossible to correct these issues in real-time.  

That’s where AI comes in. Through AI-powered Driver Safety Assistance, risks like fatigue, lane departure, and cellphone use trigger an audible alert to the driver, refocusing them on the road. This is helpful for onboarding new drivers, as AI supports drivers across all your routes, even when you can’t be in the truck with them.  

In the event of an accident, the data and footage gathered from the VEDR devices, alongside a robust safety program, provides excellent liability protection for your business. Clear evidence of what occurred leading up to the event protects against faulty claims; while coaching and training records prove the steps your organization has taken to ensure drivers operate professionally. Implementing a robust safety program can make a substantial difference in claim outcomes, protecting drivers, your business, and profitability – and VEDR is an essential part of bringing it all together. 

Fostering a Safety Culture with AI VEDR Telematics

If it isn’t important to the owners and managers, it won’t be important to drivers. That’s why it is vital to understand how to utilize available technologies to drive that messaging home across your organization. AI VEDR can play an integral role here. Beyond event monitoring, it actively promotes safer driving habits by: 

• • Encouraging Safe Driving Practices: Driver Safety Assistance with real-time, audible feedback reinforces safe driving habits, keeping safety top of mind and reducing the likelihood of accidents. 
  • Setting and Achieving Safety Goals: By identifying and analyzing trends in driving behavior, fleet managers can establish realistic safety objectives and measure progress towards their goals. 
  • Integrating Safety into Daily Operations: The regular use of AI VEDR telematics keeps safety at the forefront of daily operations, reminding drivers of the importance of their behavior on the road and ensuring that safety practices are always top of mind. 

While just a part of a complete safety program, the insights provided by AI VEDR can inform how safety is addressed across your organization. By systematically identifying safety trends and highlighting areas for improvement, managers can implement targeted training and areas of focus for driver safety.   

Choosing Descartes GroundCloud as an AI VEDR Partner

The most vital aspect of your operations requires a reliable safety partner that understands the needs of your business and the challenges drivers face on the road. Descartes GroundCloud stands out in the industry as a top safety partner for thousands of service providers. Our comprehensive solution includes:

• • Tailored Coaching and Feedback: Following the detection of an unsafe driving event, Descartes GroundCloud provides automated Reactive Coaching coupled with footage of the event, for clear and actionable driver feedback. 
  • Key Indicator Compliance: Advanced dashboards and seamless device integration make safety monitoring simple, effective, and designed for your success. Over 90% of our customers achieve passing KI scores! 
  • Full Safety Integration: When you use the GroundCloud platform, safety, productivity, and compliance are all brought into one streamlined solution. This interconnectivity promotes safety as a part of normal operations, creating efficiencies and fostering a culture of safety within your team. 
  • Comprehensive Safety Audits: Beyond providing devices and training, Descartes GroundCloud offers thorough safety audits, either in person or via call, to ensure that safety technologies are being utilized effectively and that the organization is on track to build and maintain a strong culture of safety. 

Conclusion 

At the end of the day, there are a few things that matter most for delivery service providers – delivering packages on time, keeping drivers safe on the road, and maximizing the efficiency and profitability of their operations. As part of a larger safety program, AI VEDR is invaluable to these ends. Instead of safety being a burdensome mandate, Driver Safety Assistance and automated Reactive Coaching help to address unsafe practices without disrupting the normal flow of your operations.  

By identifying risks across your organization, training and coaching initiatives can be developed and implemented that improve safety and efficiency in key areas. This not only protects drivers and vehicles but promotes a culture of safety where your team and business can thrive. 

With Descartes GroundCloud, you gain a partner that has helped thousands of other service providers meet industry standards, protect their profits against liability claims, and foster a culture of safety within their organizations. 

Learn more about Descartes GroundCloud’s VEDR solution and how it can benefit your operations, visit www.groundcloud.com/vedr.