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DIGI Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) is using telematics data to help commercial vehicle drivers become better and safer drivers, in a move to address rising concerns on road safety in the country.

According to Digi CEO Praveen Rajan (picture), studies have shown that telematics can lead to a reduction in accident rates among commercial vehicle drivers.

“The data collected enables owners to better plan routes and schedules, recommend driver training and implement disciplinary action where needed.

“Vehicle telematics is the technology of sending, receiving and storing information of vehicles and drivers, using devices connected to the Internet.

“This technology can be used to improve road safety by monitoring driver behaviour and collecting vehicle data such as location, speed, acceleration, braking and cornering,” he said at the launch of the Digi Road Safety Programme 2019 in Shah Alam recently.

According to the Malaysia Transport Statistics 2017, there was an average of 2.03 million daily traffic recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, and an average of 154,015 in East Malaysia.

In the same year, the Royal Malaysian Police reported 802,523 motor vehicles involved in road crashes.

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) also highlighted that human error contributed 80% of the crashes in 2017, citing risky driving, speeding and fatigue as concerns.

Praveen added that the data helps commercial vehicle owners and drivers make more informed decisions to improve vehicle safety on the road, which is a key component of Digi’s Road Safety Programme.

“We strongly believe that telematics is a practical tool that can uniquely address road safety concerns by creating a long-term safety mindset among commercial vehicle drivers, whose trustworthiness on our roads contributes significantly to the safety of other road users,” he said.

Praveen also said the programme includes three comprehensive initiatives to help small and medium enterprise (SME) commercial vehicle owners start, train and sustain safe driving habits among their drivers.

Among others, the programme introduces a RM10 million fund, training and rewards to help companies start on their safety culture.

“We are proactively working to improve road safety with vehicle telematics, and are now using our readily available competencies to start other companies on this journey,” he said.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who launched the programme, said even though current road safety

statistics have improved, there is still more that everyone can do to curb fatalities and serious injuries.

“Technology can be effective for better enforcement, implementation of interventions and safety compliance on roads — telematics could help improve road safety and build trust in road users, which in this case are commercial vehicle drivers,” he said.

The programme is supported by the Transport Ministry, Road Safety Department and MIROS to raise road safety standards in Malaysia by cultivating better driving habits among commercial vehicle drivers.

The Digi Road Safety Programme is powered by iFleet, the company’s fleet management solution that provides real-time vehicle and driver behaviour information. It is open to all SMEs, and will run until Dec 31, 2019.

source : https://themalaysianreserve.com/2019/08/13/digi-uses-vehicle-telematics-to-digitalise-and-improve-road-safety/