2020’s Road Death Count Was the Highest in 13 Years Due to Reckless Lockdown Drivers: Study
As COVID-19 swept across the country this time last year, states instituted emergency lockdowns, slowing the virus' spread and attempting to prevent the overrun of hospitals nationwide. Many Americans endangered themselves anyway via reckless driving.
The National Safety Council projects 42,060 Americans died on the roads in 2020. This marks an increase of eight percent over 2019's total, and the highest since 2007.
These changes to Americans' driving behavior contributed to a $474 billion impact on the American economy according to the NSC, whose estimate includes costs related to injuries, deaths, and property damage.
Read the article at The Drive.
Ford Commercial Vehicles Brings Connectivity to Non-Ford Fleet Vehicles, Touts EV Transformation
By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor
The first day of NTEA’s Work Truck Week got off to a notable start with the Ford Commercial Vehicles press conference, moderated by Philip Podgorny, Commercial and Government Sales General Manager, and Alex Purdy, Director of Business Operations, Enterprise Connectivity.
Podgorny began by noting that 100% of Ford commercial vehicles now included embedded modems with 4G LTE WiFi for up to 10 devices that unlock connectivity to Ford’s intelligent fleet management tools. “These services are already helping to improve driver behavior and bring electric vehicle data and charging solutions to our valued fleet customers.”
Taking this feature one step further for 2021, Alex Purdy announced that the company is extending its industry-leading connectivity technology to include non-Ford vehicles while paving the way for an electric future.
Mobility Investments in the Next Normal
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily slowed growth, the mobility sector is undergoing a profound transformation and opening new opportunities for players that are willing to invest in vehicle electrification, autonomous driving, and other revolutionary products and services.
The next normal has accelerated the interest in autonomous technology, with more North American respondents stating that they would be more likely to take deliveries from autonomous vehicles (AVs) and were willing to use AVs for people transport. This shift in consumer sentiment and acceptance could unlock opportunities for AV players to test, pilot, and deploy AV deliveries.
Educational efforts will be particularly important for AVs, since public trust remains low and many people are still reluctant to use these vehicles. In addition, the greater openness of consumers toward autonomous-delivery solutions could make them more familiar with AV technology, potentially opening more opportunities.
Read the article at McKinsey & Company.
Experience Connection Through Mentorship
Previously published in AFLA Fleet Insight, February 2021 member newsletter
By Debbie Struna, WIFM Task Force Member
I don’t think any of us believed that the pandemic that began in early 2020 would still be impacting our lives as we move well into the year 2021.
While our pets have been happier than ever, and we might have learned how to bake our own bread, the past year has brought about many changes to the fleet industry. To some, the challenge of working from home had to be navigated. Parents had to set up home offices as well as tutor their children through cyber learning.
Certain fleets were mobilized into action to help combat the pandemic, others were stalled or slowed down due to restrictions. I think it’s fair to say that life has changed measurably for all of us.
Dealing with High-Risk Drivers and Tackling Risk Factors Including Speeding
Pareto’s Principle states that 80% of outcomes or results are attributable to about 20% of inputs or activities
By Ed Dubens, Founder/CEO of eDriving
It’s a relatively well-known principle within the fleet and risk industries, often applied to driver risk, and confirmed by a study conducted by the Transportation Research Safety Board that concluded that 20% of drivers were involved in 79% of crashes/incidents and 76% of violations.
Critically, the 80/20 rule tells us just how important it is for organizations to identify, train and coach their most “at-risk” drivers, typically the 20% of drivers that account for approximately 80% of the organization’s risk, insurance, and liability costs.
