A worrying situation
Did you know that?
Occupational road risk remains the leading cause of death at work, accounting for 31% of work-related deaths.
In 2023, according toHealth insurance, accidents at work have generally decreased by 1.5%, while, at the same time, accidents related to road risks have increased.
In all, 485 people lost their lives in 2023 as part of their commute to work or their professional missions.
Road risk: a legal responsibility of the employer
Preventing road risks is not an option. It is a legal requirement for any business owner. As soon as an employee uses a vehicle as part of his professional activity, the employer must guarantee his safety. It is up to him to put in place all the necessary measures to avoid any danger.
In the event of an accident linked to a lack of prevention, the employer may be held liable, including criminal liability. He may be prosecuted for manslaughter or unintentional injuries if a breach on his part contributed to creating a dangerous situation (articles 121-3, 221-6, 222-19, R.625-2 and R.622-1 of the Criminal Code).
However, many leaders feel helpless in the face of this requirement. How to effectively assess the road behavior of their employees? The issue is complex, but inaction can be very expensive.
The connected vehicle makes it possible to understand road behavior
By means of a telematic unit, installed on board each vehicle, it is possible to collect a significant amount of information in real time on the vehicle, of course, but also on the driver (identity of the person behind the wheel, driving behavior of the latter, etc.).
In terms of road behavior, embedded telematics makes it possible to constantly analyze 3 fundamental indicators illustrating the type of driving of each person:
. The brakes
. The bends
. Accelerations.
The collection, processing and analysis of this data makes it possible to define the driving profile of each driver and to identify accidental behaviors.
At Optimum, a specialist in connected vehicles, the profile of drivers is presented in the form of a rating called “Eco-Index”. Each driver starts with a score of 100, which evolves according to the driving events detected.
The company manager or fleet manager thus has a dashboard on which he can visualize the road behavior of his employees and very quickly identify risky behaviors for which preventive actions should be considered.
At the same time, the Optimum platform also provides an estimate of fuel and CO₂ savings, made possible by more flexible and responsible driving.
Training and consolidation: the essential pillars of road risk prevention
Identifying risky behaviors is not enough. The employer has a legal obligation to implement appropriate preventive measures. Among the most effective: driver training and awareness-raising.
Training can take several forms: practical training on a circuit, supervised by an approved trainer and/or self-service access to e-learning training modules
But training alone is not enough: “Chase the natural, it comes back at a gallop”.
Permanently changing behavior requires time and repetition.
This is where consolidating what has been achieved comes in. To prevent good reflexes from disappearing over time, you need to maintain the momentum. For this purpose, Optimum offers a tool that makes it possible to create and manage challenges on various themes over the long term (Eco-Index score, CO₂ emissions, fuel savings, etc.).
These challenges create positive emulation within teams. They reinforce the long-term anchoring of good practices. The result: more responsible driving, fewer accidents, and a positive impact on the environment and car fleet costs.
Conclusion: the connected vehicle, an essential lever for reducing professional road risks
By combining technology, behavioral analysis and continuing education, the connected vehicle is now emerging as a key solution to reduce road risk in business.
With tools like the Optimum platform, employers finally have a concrete, measurable and effective way to:
- Identifying and correcting risky behaviors
- Reducing traffic accidents
- Strengthen their legal compliance
- Achieve fuel savings
- Improving their environmental performance
Adopting a connected fleet management solution means investing in safety, social responsibility, and business efficiency.
At a time when professional road risk remains a major issue, it is time to act.
Contact us for a demonstration of our solution!
