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Law enforcement agencies have high standards for their fleets. These include patrol cars, pursuit vehicles, and interceptor SUVs. These vehicles are often driven in extremely harsh conditions and can be subject to dangerous situations, which is more than what the average driver would do. These vehicles must also be able to carry large quantities of police equipment and can be used in difficult situations. They also have to be able to respond quickly and effectively to pursuits.
Law enforcement agencies are also bombarded daily with new vehicle models and technology options. These include next-generation engine technology and larger and more versatile platforms. Semi-autonomous and robot cars. WiFi connectivity is included.
More law enforcement agencies are looking to fleet management solutions to help them tackle these issues in the short and long term. Three critical ways telematics technology can protect officers and the public is:
1. Safety and risk reduction
Every law enforcement agency places safety first. According to The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s year-end report, 50 officers were killed in traffic-related incidents in 2018. During the past decade, the traffic-related death rate (55) was close to that of firearm-related fatalities (54).
There are additional risks to consider when driving a police car. This includes answering dispatcher calls and typing license plate numbers and other search queries on laptops mounted in the dash or front seats. Also, keep an eye out for speeding cars or other disturbances.
A fleet management solution that supports police officers can help them navigate these daily challenges and meet critical safety standards.
- To reduce speeding, monitor vehicle speed and location
- To identify acceleration and hard braking incidents, we need to clearly understand driver behaviour.
- Provide customized behaviour data to be used in coaching officers on safer driving techniques
- Monitoring and measuring seatbelt usage and integrating this information into safety programs
- Locate the exact vehicle to help in emergencies
2. Limiting your budget and controlling costs
Law enforcement vehicles can experience wear and tear far beyond the norm. This can lead to costly repairs, replacements, and expensive maintenance. Police forces with limited budgets must ensure that each patrol car gets the most mileage and service, but this shouldn’t come at the expense or the safety of the people who drive the vehicles, which are often conducted at high speeds.
Telematics can increase efficiency and lower operational costs by enabling fleet managers:
Download our free ebook to learn more about the top three ways that telematics improves law enforcement fleet management
Reduce fuel consumption, the largest expense for any fleet. This can be done by reducing idle time and speeding up while identifying illegal vehicle usage and verifying fuel expenditures.
Access engine diagnostic data to plan and track preventative maintenance. This will streamline the maintenance process, better control costs and eliminate paperwork.
With near-real-time maps of all vehicle locations and point-to-point driving directions, you can improve dispatching decisions and reduce vehicle wear and tear.
Integrating telematics data in a fleet safety program could lead to lower insurance premiums.
3. Increasing fleet utilization and operational efficiency
Frost & Sullivan found that fleet managers who maximize the potential for a fleet management system can increase vehicle utilization by as much as 15%-20%.3 Fleet management software provides real-time vehicle stats and usage data and allows fleet managers to:
To establish a baseline, identify key metrics like miles travelled and hours used to determine eligibility for improvement.
To help you meet benchmarks, analyze your job history and compare across all vehicles.
Streamline asset tracking for better inventory management and tracking in-vehicle equipment, including phones, computers, printers, and radios.
You can be flexible enough to respond to an emergency or last-minute demands by changing your vehicle route at a moment’s notice depending on where you are, what job assignment you have and how many miles you’ve driven.
Use navigation tools, weather, and traffic data to route vehicles efficiently in fast-changing environments.
4. Find the system that best suits your needs
Select a telematics solution that meets the needs of your law enforcement agency and is flexible enough to adapt to future challenges.
Find a solution that offers the following:
- Access virtually any place on any device at any time
- Maps with detailed information that track vehicles, officers, and equipment
- Simple dashboards that provide up-to-the-minute fleet analytics
- Coaching modules can support safe driving habits
To learn more about how telematics can improve law enforcement fleet management, download our eBook, 3 Ways Telematics Can Help.
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