Black box pilot launched for Scotland’s young ‘at-work’ drivers

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Scotland has teamed up with MyDrive Solutions, an insurance telematics specialist, to launch a pilot project using telematic devices (black boxes) to monitor the at-work driving of young people.

The project, funded by the Scottish Government, aims to monitor and improve the driving behaviour and standards of young people who drive for work. It will run until July 2013 and there is no charge for organisations to participate.

RoSPA points to research showing that this type of technology can significantly reduce crash rates, risky driving behaviours and fuel and accident costs.

The aim of the pilot is to identify how employers in Scotland can best make use of black boxes to help keep their employees and other road users safe.

This is the first project of its kind in Scotland and following the pilot RoSPA will publish a report to show how the black box technology has helped to identify real-life driving habits of at-work drivers. RoSPA hopes to use the results to promote the benefits of the technology and encourage other employers to adopt it.

Kathleen Braidwood, road safety officer, RoSPA Scotland, said: “By monitoring driving every second, we can develop a detailed picture of the real-life driving habits of young at-work drivers. This black box technology then allows the risk to be assessed very easily and accurately.

“Many companies are starting to use black boxes to monitor the at-work driving of their staff, and insurance companies are also increasingly using the technology to monitor how, when and where the young drivers who they insure are driving.

“Information gathered from this technology can not only help to motivate drivers and encourage better driving, but also to improve the reputation of the company and help reduce costs. This pioneering research will contribute to the commitment within Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020 and supports there commendations within the National Young Driver Debate.”

For more information email: kbraidwood@rospa.com