Telematics technology provider In-Car Cleverness (ICC) studied driver behaviour in a fleet of nine Mercedes-Benz vans over a two-month period and ranked each driver based on the driver performance flagged by the ICC device.
The study revealed a 16% difference in fuel costs between the best and worst drivers. Had the best-ranking driver covered the entire mileage driven by the fleet during the study, the total fuel bill would have been £2,582.24 compared to the equivalent £3057.92 bill accrued by the weakest driver; a saving of £475.68 or 4p per mile.
ICC added that for the typical commercial vehicle, the saving of 4p per mile would translate into £843.92 per year in saved fuel costs.
The most inefficient driver recorded four times as many behaviour ‘flags’ as the most efficient, including inappropriate acceleration and late braking. The regularity of these driving practices enabled the vehicle to achieve just 76% of its claimed MPG figure.
In comparison, the best-ranked driver achieved 90% of the vehicle’s claimed MPG return.
Martin Bramwell, managing director at In-Car Cleverness, commented: “It will come as little surprise that a smoothly driven vehicle will run more efficiently than one subjected to poor control and this extends to the condition of key components and the likelihood of mechanical failure.
“But being able to generate an overall driver behaviour score and a breakdown of driving practices gives a fleet manager total visibility over their vehicles and is crucial for any fleet looking to identify where money is being lost.
“If fleet managers can identify areas of driver behaviour for improvement, the savings we have identified will follow.”
