Talking to… Colin Knight from Clancy Group
There are many pros – and just a few cons – to life, when you’re responsible for fleet safety in a nationally-recognised firm operating 120 HGVs, 1,578 vans, 283 company cars, and a grey fleet of around 100.
Especially when you’re helping to drive a technological revolution that has placed the gathering and the analysis of immense amounts of data at the very epicentre of operations.
Colin Knight, 46-year-old Head of Fleet Safety Management and Compliance at Clancy Group, has helped pioneer an initiative under which ‘at risk’ drivers are equipped with a connected, forward-facing camera, monitoring their every move behind the wheel. And that means he never quite knows when a problem might crop up next.
“It’s fascinating,” says Colin, who lives near Ormskirk, in the North West. “The cameras monitor everything the driver does from g-forces on the vehicle, to braking and acceleration, even detecting incidents like a collision and the vehicle’s location. When something does occur, the camera software automatically sends out a report within minutes. It can show the 60 seconds building up to an incident, giving a clear picture of what led to the event. It’s highly instructional – even if the reports sometimes reach me when I’m not in the office!
“We make extensive use of that information not just to go over the incident with the driver, but as training material and intelligence for training others too. The big challenge is identifying precisely what data we have, how we are going to use it – and working out whether there are any additional data streams that we should be utilising.”
For the full story please click here.
Related news, events and information
Are speed limiters the best way to reduce road deaths?
1 August 2019 – Story from BBC News. The European Union is planning to make speed limiters compulsory on all new cars from...
DfBB advises fleets to set safety goals high and mean what you say
3 July 2019 – Story from Fleet News. Whether you're running the fleet department or the whole company, a credible commitment...
Fleet drivers must know the laws when driving abroad
22 August 2008 – Fleet drivers must be better prepared before driving abroad, according to insurance giant Norwich Union. The...
Road Safety Minister Applauds Driving for Better Business
8 May 2008 – The Transport Minister responsible for Road Safety, Jim Fitzpatrick MP, publically thanked the RoadSafe team,...
Make safety a deal breaker
24 January 2018 – In announcing The Volvo XC60 as the winners of the UK What Car? Safety Award Thatcham Research points out that...
Driving for Better Business partner takes ‘Permit to Drive’ message to Labour Party conference
22 August 2008 – Employees at the Labour Party now have to qualify for a 'Permit to Drive' from managers before they are allowed...
Risk management: driver safety 'is not enough'
9 May 2008 – Fleet managers are being urged to adopt a more holistic approach to accident investigation. Dr Will Murray,...
Van Driver Toolkit - Updated
11 July 2022 – The Van Driver Toolkit - launched by National Highways' Driving for Better Business campaign just one year ago...
ING Car Lease uncovers risky mobile phone business
5 September 2009 – The recession is encouraging more company car drivers to take calls when behind the wheel, according to a...