We all like to think we drive well (myself included), but how much of an economical driver are we really?  Furthermore, could you confidently answer what an economical driver actually is?!

Tell me, what would your answer be if someone asked if you’re an efficient driver?  In fact, what would your answer be if someone asked you what efficient driving is?

These are questions we’ve been discussing in the Redtail office recently.

Lucky for us, Redtail devices and data enable us to scrutinise driving behaviours and vehicle performance in some detail.  This, in turn, helps us offer a unique view on driving in an efficient and economic manner.

So, we decided to put together a list of tips and tricks we thought you’d find useful.  Maybe you could consider some of these the next time you go for a drive.  Go on, give it a go!​

• Check your tyres
  • Underinflated tyres wear out faster and lose energy
• Maintain a consistent speed
  • If you have cruise control and you’re driving along a motorway – consider turning it on. If you’re driving along other roads, try to maintain as consistent a speed as you can.  Slowing down and speeding up all the time is inefficient
• Try to reduce the need for unnecessary acceleration and braking
  • If you accelerate quickly but smoothly, acceleration itself isn’t inefficient. However, if you accelerate to a higher speed than the roads allow and have to brake, you’ll unnecessarily need to accelerate again… and if your speed gets too high again you’ll need to brake again and the cycle continues
  • Try to reach a speed that suits the road you are on and maintain it so you aren’t accelerating and braking more than needed. It can use a lot of fuel and be a potential hazard
  • In city driving, nearly 50% of the energy needed to power your car goes to acceleration

A recent UK government Impact Study on Intelligent Mobility offers compelling data on the impact of ‘eco driving’.  The findings indicated a 5-15% reduction in emissions; a factor that improves fuel economy too!

More tips and tricks:

• Change gears at an appropriate time
  • Don’t stick in a low gear for too long as high revs can reduce fuel efficiency
• Anticipate traffic and the road ahead
  • If you see a queue ahead or traffic lights changing colour, try to slow gradually as you reach them not suddenly once you’re there
  • Slow deceleration (trying to avoid using the brake to stop suddenly or harshly) is much more economical and will reduce wear and tear on your brakes. So, it helps save on fuel and maintenance costs!
• Avoid idling
  • It wastes fuel and gets you nowhere
• Make sure you service your vehicle as often as the manufacturer advises
  • Vehicles with a less than optimal engine can use up to 50% more fuel and produce up to 50% more emissions than one that is running properly

The existence of telematics is nothing new but using telematics data as evidence in court might not be so familiar.  You are probably aware of the many other uses.  For example, in Usage-Based Insurance (UBI), fleet management and tracking, stolen vehicle tracking to name a few.  However, you perhaps have not heard of its use as evidence in court!

So, here’s the story of how Redtail Telematics device data helped the customer win their case in court!

Recently a road traffic incident went to court – Mitrasinovic versus Stroud – due to a dispute over who was at fault.  The car (owned by the defendant) had a Redtail Telematics black box device fitted.  The events of the incident were that a large motorcycle had entered a left-hand bend and met a Ford Ka at the apex of the same right hand bend.  The GPS trace recorded of the car at the time of the incident, may have suggested that the Ford Ka may have crossed the white line.  However, while GPS technology as a whole is great at telling us things such as time, place and speed of a vehicle, location accuracy at the granular level is not so much its forte.

GPS trace data recorded from a black box going around a corner versus smartphone going around a corner.  The GPS trace from the smartphone (green line) is of inferior quality to that of the black box (blue line).

​

So, I hear you ask, if the telematics data couldn’t help with GPS, how did it help?!

The existence of GPS data in black box telematics devices is, I would say, definitely not the most important benefit.  There is so much more on offer.  For example, all Redtail Telematics devices have accelerometer and gyro.  If it’s a Redtail OBD device then you would even get OBD data from our devices too!

I think you know where we’re going with this… The car was equipped with a Redtail Telematics black box whose data was used as evidence in the case.  In addition, expert analysis of the data by Redtail assisted the Judge in clearing the car driver of all fault. Indeed, one of the accident reconstruction experts used the accelerometer data to suggest that the car swerved.  Therefore, the car driver probably avoided the glancing accident from being a head-on one.

Thanks to these extra offerings, Dr Colin Smithers (Redtail Telematics’ CEO), was able to defend the data from the Redtail Telematics device and stated that “Use of Black Box telematics clearly saves lives and reduces accidents, but importantly can add clarity in situations where memory has long faded and witness accounts disagree. This can act hugely to the benefit of innocent parties”.

Not bad for such a small piece of electronic equipment, eh?!

So that’s the story of how the data from a Redtail Telematics black box device helped in court.  The real question now is whether using telematics data will become the norm in court or remain a novelty.  I’d like to think that we’re all beginning to trust black box data enough to start accepting its use in situations such as this!

You can read full details of the court judgement on the Mitrasinovic vs Stroud case on the England and Wales High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) Decisions website.

Watch Redtail Telematics in DWF Telematics recording from their webinar held on the 20th of January 2021 at 11:00 – 12:00.  Dr Colin Smithers joins the panel.

During the DWF Telematics webinar, panelists recently discussed «when telematics data should be relied upon, what that data can and cannot tell us and how supporting evidence should be put before the court.»  Follow the link to the recording of the webinar to hear Redtail Telematics’ CEO speak with fellow panelists.

Click on the link below for the recording of this interesting and insightful webinar:

DWF Telematics – What does data tell us and how is it best utilised in personal injury claims?

Speakers and links to their profiles on the DWF website:

• Dave Young, Partner at DWF
• Benedict Harper, Specialist Manager at DWF
• Nina Lewis, Senior Associate at DWF
• Andrew Davis, Barrister Crown Office Chambers
• Dr Colin Smithers, Founder and CEO of Redtail Telematics Limited

For more information or to find out about other DWF webinars and insights, follow the below link to their website:

https://dwfgroup.com/en/news-and-insights/events/dwf-telematics

Join Redtail Telematics in DWF Telematics webinar on the 20th of January 2021 at 11:00 – 12:00.  Dr Colin Smithers joins the panel.

During the DWF Telematics webinar, panelists «will be discussing when telematics data should be relied upon, what that data can and cannot tell us and how supporting evidence should be put before the court.»  Follow the link to hear Redtail Telematics’ CEO speak in this webinar.

Click on the link below to find out more or to sign up to join the webinar:

DWF Telematics – What does data tell us and how is it best utilised in personal injury claims?

Speakers and links to their profiles on the DWF website:

• Dave Young, Partner at DWF
• Benedict Harper, Specialist Manager at DWF
• Nina Lewis, Senior Associate at DWF
• Andrew Davis, Barrister Crown Office Chambers
• Dr Colin Smithers, Founder and CEO of Redtail Telematics Limited

For more information or to find out about other DWF webinars and insights, follow the below link to their website:

https://dwfgroup.com/en/news-and-insights/events/dwf-telematics

To discover the history of telematics, we need to first look at GPS and its origins.  Without the creation and eventual world-wide free access of GPS, telematics as we know it probably wouldn’t exist.

While the term wasn’t coined until 1978, the first use arguably occurred over 60 years ago with “Tachograph” technology (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph).

To think our little black boxes essentially started as something that resembles a CD/disc – incredible how technology develops!

In the 1980s, the EU commissioned research into vehicle telematics with the aim to improve road safety.

This was therefore probably the start of wider telematics adoption in vehicles and consequently its uses today.

In 1993, the US Government allowed everyone to have free access to GPS.

Another crucial moment in the history of telematics because GPS is so key to the way telematics is used today.

The development and uses of telematics really took off in the 2000s.

Consequently, this decade has seen some quite important telematics milestones:

• Fleet Management Systems embraced its uses
• The Motor Insurance Industry also adopted it (in User Based Insurance – UBI)
• Consumers gained access to GPS-based vehicle navigation systems – which became tracking systems
• Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication made great improvements – the predecessor to Internet of Things (IoT)
• The accuracy of GPS tracking increased

Most noteworthy in the history of telematics is how the basic concept of tracking hasn’t changed much.  The GPS aspect, which assists in providing information on location, vehicle speed, time and direction, remains as important as ever.

Some devices have more sophisticated sensors than others, that record additional measures.  For example, our devices also record accelerometer and gyro data, but the basic concept hasn’t changed much.

The interested party tends to determine how these measures might differ.  Insurance companies would want different scoring or predictive measures to analyse than a fleet manager.  Even different insurance companies may look at different risk factors.  The metrics considered useful to a “pay per mile” insurer would contrast to those of a “young driver” focused insurer.

Consequently, a customisable product really helps “bridge the gap”.

As for the future of telematics, the major focus seems to be IoT where the potential applications of telematics are certainly huge.  So it’s unlikely we’ll see signs of telematics uses slowing down!

It’s predicted that by 2020, 60% of all motor insurance policies will be UBI programs.  Furthermore, by 2025, nearly 90% of all vehicles globally are expected to have integrated telematics.  Finally, telematics is being implemented by OEMs and has paved the way for development of driverless cars, delivery drones and more.

So there you have it.  A brief history of Telematics and where it might be headed.  Watch this space as the possibilities are potentially endless!