By Janice Sutton
VisionTrack, a UK in-vehicle CCTV specialist, brought its cutting-edge 3G telematics camera to market back in January. Capable of transmitting a ten-second clip of a road incident using only 350kB of data and reporting information on speeds, location and G-force, Managing Director Simon Marsh says the VT2000 is the future for fleets looking to increase safety and reduce costs.
Fleet Management Weekly headed across the pond to talk with Simon about the importance of this technology and why he feels telematics cameras are the ‘Holy Grail’ in camera technology.
Please tell us more about the VT2000.
Ultimately, what makes the VT2000 a stand-out camera in the marketplace is its ability to send snapshot video of an incident using extremely small amounts of data. Traditionally you’d likely be looking at as much as 12MB to send footage which, of course, adds up when it comes to data charges.
The device, in addition to providing telematics data and pillar-to-pillar video that can easily be relayed to cloud-based tracking platforms, also has audible alerts that proactively encourage better driving behaviors. This, combined with driver training programs spurred on by the data such new technology is providing about individual driving habits, is vital to reducing road casualties on UK roads. There are near 200,000 casualties of all severities reported a year and drivers are still the main cause of these through poor driving standards and distractions.
Why do you feel cameras with telematics are the future?
Predominately, cameras and telematics have been seen largely as completely separate solutions by fleets, but a joined up approach gives them a much more accessible insight into their drivers’ behaviors and operations.
The VT2000 not only features full HD 1080p video recording but also has built-in telematics. What this means for managers is quick access to the all the information needed to analyze the cause of an incident in one place, through one platform. The addition of video to core speed and G-force data gives a rounded, clear picture of what has happened and the potential reasons for it. It provides both the hard facts and wider insights into the environment and external contributors. This is vital to future risk management.
How is such technology impacting UK fleets when it comes to insurance?
Industry professionals only had to visit this year’s CV Show to see just how popular telematics and camera solutions are now as businesses realize the potential this technology can have on their overall safety, efficiency and cost-savings.
One insurance broker we work with recently quoted one fleet of 60-65 vehicles £20k less on their renewal premium after it chose to use these types of solutions. A UK windshield repair company that has just started using our VT2000, has also seen a £50k reduction in insurance linked costs, which it strongly feels is down to introducing cameras, aiding the reduction of incident rates and providing evidence to prevent false third party claims – key when cash-for-crash scams still cost around £336 million annually, according to the Insurance Fraud Bureau.
Is the VT2000 camera available in the United States?
The VT2000 is not currently available in the US but it’s a market we are keen to explore in the future.
