Smart Tachographs: Steering Road Safety in the Right Direction - Chambers and Cook
Smart tachographs are now mandatory in all new trucks. This is great news for haulage operators and drivers alike as these smart tachographs will help to cut administration costs, reduce roadside interrogations and further improve road safety.
Improving Road Safety
Driver fatigue kills. Fact. According to a study by Loughborough University, as many as one in six crashes on our roads is caused by driver tiredness. And with approximately 40% of all these fatigue-related accidents involving large commercial vehicles, it’s not surprising that tachographs have been compulsory in HGVs since the 1970s.
Tachographs aim to reduce road accidents by monitoring how long a truck driver has been on the road and making sure they meet drivers’ hours regulations. But many drivers and operators have still been slapped with significant fines, and lengthy jail sentences, for ignoring the rules and even tampering with tachographs to try to cover their tracks.
The introduction of digital tachographs in 2006 made it more difficult for those intent on disregarding regulations but not impossible.
Road Safety gets Smart
As of the 15th of June 2019, EU legislation states that all new commercial vehicles must be fitted with the fourth-generation tachograph. The Government has confirmed that should we leave the EU, the legislation will still stand as UK law. So, Brexit or no Brexit, smart tachographs are here to stay.
This is great news for the reputation of the UK haulage industry and road users, as the smart tachograph aims to tackle tachograph fraud by doing all the things its digital predecessor does — and more.
GPS Monitoring
Thanks to a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module, smart tachographs will automatically track a truck’s location. The driver’s exact whereabouts will be recorded at the beginning and end of each journey, with automatic updates taking place every three hours throughout.
Drive-by Data
Smart tachographs allow for the taking of drive-by data. Roadside inspection officers can remotely communicate with a truck’s tachograph, using a short-range radio device. This means any driver not meeting regulations will be remotely detected and compliant drivers won’t have to waste their time with unnecessary roadside inspections.
Data Sharing
The new, smarter tachographs also report remotely to the haulage operator’s analysis system, saving time on tiresome and time-consuming admin tasks.
Stay Smart & Stick to the Rules
Compliant companies and drivers have nothing to fear from the new tachograph. The smart technology will only help to improve fleet operations, increase productivity and reduce wasted time.
At Chambers & Cook, we think the next generation tachographs are great news. They’ll help to expose poor haulage operators, give us greater access to information on drivers based away from our main site and will significantly improve road safety, which can only be a good thing for everyone.
Whether you need to transport goods throughout the UK or across Europe, our reputation on the road can rarely be matched. If you’re looking to partner with a trusted UK road haulage company who will keep your business moving safely, call one of our friendly team today, on 0121 356 1441 or email us at info@ccfreight.com.
We are safe. We are trusted. We are Chambers & Cook.
