Aon Teams With Tech Firm For Fleet Risk Management

Aon Corp., the Chicago-based brokerage, said it has teamed up with a technology firm on a risk management effort for commercial fleets that emplaces a sophisticated audio video recording system in vehicles.

The service pairs Aon with San Diego-based SmartDrive. The firms are launching a joint service called AonSmartDrive in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, which they refer to as a “measured safety program.”

Part of Aon's wider risk management program, Commercial Fleet Solutions, the program equips vehicles with an in-vehicle camera and recording system that has two lenses–one to record the driver's view and a second that captures the driver and rearview.

Aon said the system aims to reduce commercial fleet accidents by 50 percent and help protect companies from lawsuits.

The camera unit uses G-force and speed sensors to capture video clips of 15 seconds before and 15 seconds after a triggered incident. It also records audio and can be activated manually by the driver by hitting a “panic button.” The information is downloaded when the vehicle returns to its base.

Aon said events are reviewed to identify possible driving errors, such as tailgating or speeding, or common distractions, such as eating, using a cell phone, or reading a map.

The system is described as entirely Web-based, allowing clients to easily and quickly access events, run reports and counsel drivers.

Benchmarking, the companies said, means good drivers can be appropriately rewarded, while drivers displaying unsafe behaviors can be retrained. SmartDrive refers to the camera as a “behavioral modification device.”

Greg Drew, SmartDrive chief executive officer, said in a statement the company considers the program with Aon to be ground-breaking.

“It leverages the complementary strengths of Aon's risk management expertise and our driver safety solutions effectively to deliver significant value to customers. We are already seeing the results,” he said. “Companies in the U.S. and U.K. have already seen accident frequencies cut by over 50 percent within three-to-six months of deploying the program and improved compliance to their safety initiatives.”

Among benefits claimed for the system are:

o Reduced exposure to fraudulent claims and litigation

o Lowered insurance premiums and retained risk costs.

o Driver development and retention.

o Reduced maintenance costs.

o Fewer mystery damages.

o Lower fuel consumption from speeding.

Luke Harrison, director of Aon Global Risk Consulting, said the company selected SmartDrive after evaluating multiple sources of technology. “Initiatives such as AonSmartDrive supplement a company's risk management program by influencing driver behavior and preventing accidents,” he said.