NZI says its new heavy motor vehicle insurance programme is rewarding commercial carriers that demonstrate safer driving behaviour.
The NZI and Lumley safe driving rewards programme offers an excess waiver for commercial vehicle operators that meet certain driver safety benchmarks.
The programme is a collaboration between the insurer and transport technology company EROAD.
Customers that have EROAD hardware installed in their heavy commercial vehicles, and where the vehicles are on an EROAD service plan that includes vehicle tracking, may qualify to have their excesses waived.
This waiver occurs if their company’s driving record rates in the top 25% of all companies using the EROAD system.
Data collected by EROAD hardware is used to produce a safety rating for individual drivers, based on factors such as the frequency and severity of speeding events, harsh braking, and acceleration.
Drivers are ranked against others in their organisation, with a star rating that compares them with other EROAD customers.
Companies that place in the overall top 25% of EROAD customers for driving performance may qualify for an excess waiver.
“We understand the challenges faced by operators in creating safe workplaces. We want to be able to support our heavy motor customers to reduce risk and improve their driver safety rating,” says NZI and Lumley commercial motor national manager, Ian Taylor
“By benchmarking driver behaviour and rewarding high performers, we plan to do that,” says Taylor.
Under the programme, joint customers of NZI and EROAD who opt into the programme, also agree to share their data with NZI to allow it to research the development of heavy motor vehicle usage-based insurance products.
“The collaboration between NZI, EROAD and our customers presents an opportunity to develop a world-leading heavy motor usage-based insurance product, that will benefit both the transport and insurance industries,” says Taylor.
“Helping transport operators improve safety outcomes is a key focus for EROAD,” says EROAD chief executive officer, Steven Newman.
“We’re very pleased to have the opportunity with NZI to support our customers in promoting safer driving.”
More than 25,000 commercial vehicles in New Zealand use EROAD units every day.
EROAD announces next-generation platform
EROAD has announced the release of its second-generation in-vehicle hardware, Ehubo2, supporting multiple applications on a single device.
The first application for Ehubo2, Drive Buddy, supports safe driving by providing real-time feedback on a visual display.
Drive Buddy’s screen shows accurate vehicle speed, alerting drivers using a simple system of green/amber/red icons. Harsh braking, sharp cornering and unnecessary idling also generate driver alerts.
EROAD CEO Steven Newman says Drive Buddy was designed to provide real-time in-vehicle feedback, in an informative, positive way without distracting drivers.
“In-vehicle technology has a crucial role to play in making vehicles safer workplaces,” says Newman. “We’re confident that Ehubo2 will make compliance with health and safety regulations significantly easier for the transport sector.”
Mt Maunganui logistics company NZL Group Ltd installed Drive Buddy in 70 trucks in preparation for impending changes in health and safety legislation.
“The company’s aim in taking part in the field pilot of Drive Buddy was to reduce speed and provide best in-cab tools for its drivers,” says NZL senior projects manager, Lajanne Smith.
“We knew we needed to be more proactive around better driver behaviour and not just rely on GPS units,” says Smith.
“Drive Buddy acts as a guide to the driver. We’ve noticed a huge decrease in vehicle speeding since we installed it.”
EROAD expects Ehubo2 to be approved by the New Zealand Transport Agency as an electronic distance recorder by the end of 2015.
Ehubo2 will also support EROAD’s messaging product, EZmessage and Driver ID, which assigns a driver to a particular vehicle.
