Video telematics can help drivers avoid these costly accidents and provide clarity for fleets and insurers when an accident happens. Here are five specific ways that video telematics benefit insurance companies and the fleets with whom they work.

The ability to help drivers stay safe and avoid accidents. A 2021 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report found that dangerous errors or poor driver choices cause approximately 94% of motor vehicle crashes. Video telematics can prevent accidents by sensing whether a driver is too close to another vehicle or about to hit an object. They can also use facial recognition to determine if a driver is too tired or close to falling asleep, averting a catastrophe. Mounting their phone on the dashboard also eliminates the temptation of using their phone while driving. According to Cambridge Mobile Telematics's research, individuals are 65% safer on the road if they are highly engaged while driving.
It reduces costs. By avoiding costly accidents as described above, fleet owners keep their premium costs down, avoid costly potential settlements with the families of drivers or others affected by crashes, and insurance companies eliminate expensive payouts.
It helps drivers help each other. Drivers can use most video telematics software to tag moments in time to share with bosses or other drivers. For example, if a new road development makes the journey less safe for other drivers, one of them can share a video of it as a warning. The Great Resignation has demonstrated that workers in all industries are interested in training and learning more to benefit their careers and are more likely to welcome technology that improves their skill sets.
Eliminates documentation loss. The best video telematics record content directly to the cloud, enabling near-instantaneous sharing of data and content for the fleet management, claims, and any relevant interested parties.
Increases timeliness of first-notice-of-loss (FNOL) reports and the claims process. Video telematics can automate data collection and, in some cases, create a direct notification from the device, kicking a claims process immediately into gear. Faster and more accurate FNOL responses are a huge determinant of customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study and Property Claims Satisfaction Study).

Video telematics costs have decreased enough that this technology is now affordable for fleet owners of all sizes. Insurers should mandate fleets utilize video telematics or provide discounts to those that do in order to eliminate uncertainty around claims processing. Both parties can agree that knowing exactly what happened during an accident is the quickest way to determine the next steps. Most importantly, fleet owners can leverage the technology to coach their drivers to drive more safely and avoid the next costly accident.

Special Reports /

Video telematics: A win-win for insurers, fleet owners

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