By: Art Liggio, CEO of Driving Dynamics

As reported by the National Safety Council, the U.S. has experienced three straight years of at least 40,000 roadway deaths.

In 2018, there was a decline of roughly one percent from road deaths in 2017, but a 14 percent increase from four years ago. One of the contributing factors is the continuing increase in the number of drivers on the road and miles driven, which correspondingly increases the crash risks for your driver population.

Considering this increase of time spent on the road with other untrained drivers, you must strengthen your understanding of the nation’s traffic safety culture in order to identify all the risks and then develop effective solutions or communications based on the findings.

For the last ten years, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index survey identified American drivers’ attitudes and behaviors regarding road safety. The results of this year’s survey, which focused on drivers’ road activity in the 30 days preceding their participation, are consistent with the years prior. Risky behaviors are still taking place, and unfortunately the “do as I say, not as I do” mentality is still prominent amongst non-fleet drivers.

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By Steve Spata, Technical Assistance Director, NTEA

Vehicle operations are no exception to the continuous improvement goal of doing more while spending less.

Reducing vehicle weight provides organizations with opportunities to keep enhancing operational efficiencies.

Weight has direct influence on regulatory compliance for motor vehicle safety, emissions and bridge law limitations, in addition to operational elements such as motor carrier/driver requirements, maintenance and vehicle life cycle. It’s a critical factor in the acquisition process. This overview primarily focuses on vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less.

As driver regulations (such as electronic data logging for hours of service and other qualifications) increase, the trend to downsize into vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less (Class 1–2) continues.

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By Mark Boada, Executive Editor

When you hear talk about right-sizing a fleet, is the first thing that comes to mind getting rid of vehicles?

Often, the prompt for right-sizing is either a directive from senior management in order to cut overhead expenses, a merger or employee layoffs.

But if as a fleet manager, what if you’re not met with one of these challenges? Does that mean your fleet, as it’s currently configured and deployed, is “right” for your organization?

That point was driven home last week by Ed Smith, CEO of Agile Fleet, who was the lead speaker at a webinar hosted by the National Conference of State Fleet Administrators titled, “Right-Sizing the Right Way: Achieving the Right-Sized Fleet for Your Organization.”

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The New York Times

S.U.V.s and pickups generate higher per-vehicle profits than cars, and are grabbing a record 70 percent of the American market.

The sales of midsize sedans have nose-dived.

Detroit’s Asian and European rivals continue to invest in smaller cars, hedging against changing consumer tastes or soaring fuel prices. Even in worst-case scenarios for the economy or fuel crises, Ford believes that most consumers will simply downsize to a smaller or more affordable S.U.V. rather than go back to cars.

Fiat Chrysler now relies on pickups and S.U.V.s for roughly 90 percent of its United States sales. Light trucks account for 84 percent of G.M.’s American sales and 83 percent at Ford, record highs for both companies.

Read the article at The New York Times.

Consumer Reports

Almost all states have gasoline and electric vehicle taxes to help pay for transportation projects, but higher EV fees can potentially discourage an important environmentally friendly technology.

A new Consumer Reports analysis shows that of the 26 states that currently impose EV fees, 11 charge more than the amount owners of similar gas-powered cars pay in gas taxes, and three charge more than twice the amount.

Among 12 states considering proposals, 10 would have fees greater than what a driver on average would pay in gas taxes. Seven of those states would ratchet up the fees over time to twice the amount.

Read the article at Consumer Reports.

The Detroit Bureau

When you are in the market for a new car, how do you choose the right one for you?

Research firm AutoPacific, Inc. conducted a study by asking owners to rate their vehicles on a list of attributes, including performance, fuel economy, design, safety features, quietness, infotainment systems and interior storage.

Volvo’s XC60 was the highest-rated vehicle overall and won in the “Aspirational Luxury Crossover SUV” category.

Most manufacturers still fell short of customer expectations, at least in some key areas, which represents major opportunities for automakers to improve.

Read more about the study at The Detroit Bureau.

USA Today

The number of people killed when someone plowed through a red-light rose 31% to 939 in 2017, a 10-year high, according to a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Three intersections in Florida, two in Texas and two in Tennessee are among the 10 tracked by red-light cameras where the highest number of vehicles blow through the light.

The intersection with the most incidents tracked by red-light cameras? That’s in New Orleans.

Read the article at USA Today.

It’s up to every business leader to determine his or her company’s ultimate fate: is it a disruptor itself or is it destined to become one more casualty?

By John Wysseier, CEO and President, The CEI Group, Inc.

In the world of business, disruption is more than a buzzword, it’s a fact of life for most companies.

According to Accenture, a global consulting company, 71 percent of the 10,000 companies around the globe it analyzed last year for its second Disruptability Index were in the throes or on the brink of significant disruption brought on by technological innovations, new competitors, new regulations, and by social, cultural or demographic shifts. So, it’s likely that yours is one of them.

What’s more, Accenture found that none are entirely free of some level of current or potential disruption.

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BBC

Oil prices hit their highest in four months after two attacks on Saudi Arabian facilities on Saturday knocked out more than 5% of global supply.

At the start of trading, Brent crude jumped 19% to $71.95 a barrel, while the other major benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, rose 15% to $63.34.

State oil giant Saudi Aramco said the attack cut output by 5.7 million barrels per day, at a time when Aramco is trying to ready itself for what is expected to be the world’s largest stock market listing. The drone attacks on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry included hitting the world’s biggest petroleum-processing facility. The US has blamed Iran.

Read the article at BBC.

“When there’s a hurricane, fleets need to know that their vehicles are capable of operating for hundreds of miles over several days to evacuate endangered areas and to help victims of the storm”

By Mark Boada, Executive Editor

By now, most fleet managers are familiar with many of the potential benefits of telematics. Among the most well-known are real-time reports on where their vehicles are, how many miles they’ve logged, engine trouble monitoring, and assessing driver behavior for improved fleet safety.

But how many know that telematics can also help fleets be prepared for hurricanes and other weather emergencies? That came to this writer’s attention last week when Geotab reached out about a blog on its website with the headline, “Florida prepares for Hurricane Dorian: real time data insights.”

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