Safety and Sustainability: Insights for Fleet Management in 2024

As we navigate the first months of this new year, at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions we are keeping an eye on emerging trends for the year ahead and what are the key themes that fleets should know about. 2024 is shaping up to be pivotal for fleet management, with a strong focus on two key themes: safety and decarbonisation. In this interview, Franck Leveque, Vice President of Strategy & Innovation, explains how, due to evolving legislation and technology, new strategies are needed to address them effectively.

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Could you elaborate on the importance of safety in fleet management, especially in light of recent statistics?

Absolutely. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road accidents lead to 1.3 million casualties and 50 million injuries annually. Recognizing this, the WHO, together with the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, has set a goal to halve road-related fatalities and injuries by 2030. Fleet managers are well aware of the importance of initiatives like setting driving time limits and utilizing vehicle safety technologies to achieve this. Webfleet’s Tachograph Manager provides accurate driving time data, helping fleet businesses in complying with drivers’ hours regulations and ensuring sufficient rest breaks for drivers, ultimately contributing to safer roads.

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What regulatory changes are on the horizon that will impact fleet safety?

One significant change revolves around tachograph compliance. By December 2024, vehicles involved in international transport will be required to adopt version 2 of the smart tachograph as mandated by the EU's Mobility Package 1. This update aims to ensure drivers receive sufficient rest, a crucial aspect of road safety.

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How can fleet managers drive tangible safety outcomes in 2024?

Prioritizing driver well-being, embracing smart tachograph technology, and equipping drivers with safety-enhancing tools such as professional navigation and in-cab feedback systems like Webfleet Video are all effective strategies.

A comprehensive approach, like the one OptiDrive 360 provides, can help drivers adopt a responsible driving style. It provides both drivers and fleet managers with valuable insights that can help improve their driving performance. For example, it alerts fleet managers of individual critical driving behaviours like harsh steering and sudden braking. Through real-time feedback and advice on safer driving practices, OptiDrive 360 can help reduce the frequency of accidents and minimise maintenance downtime.

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Shifting our focus to decarbonisation, why is it essential for fleets to prioritize sustainability?

Since January of this year, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has been implemented. This new EU regulation requires certain companies to disclose the impact of their activities on people and the environment, amongst other things. While some businesses may not yet be required to report their CO2 emissions, they could still be impacted by the directive’s push for greater transparency around CO2 emissions. Accurate monitoring of CO2 emissions is crucial as it enables businesses to take action to reduce their emissions and evaluate their effectiveness over time.

In response to this new regulation, Webfleet introduced its CO2 Report, with a methodology certified by TüV Rheinland, last November. This new report gives fleet managers precise data on the CO2 produced by their connected vehicles, empowering them to meet their CSRD responsibilities or provide the necessary data to larger customers that need to report on their Scope 3 emissions. ?????

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How can fleet managers drive CO2 reductions in 2024?

Maximizing efficiency for petrol-powered vehicles through fuel-saving driving techniques, like the ones provided by OptiDrive 360, and diligent maintenance is key. Fuel consumption optimisation is a key focus for fleet management solutions such as Webfleet.

Electrification (EVs) where feasible can yield significant CO2 savings (an increasing regulatory requirement in many cities), especially with the expansion of charging infrastructure. Last month Bridgestone launched its EV Services Platform, a unique ecosystem that combines solutions from industry leading mobility and energy providers into a single platform. In this platform customers and suppliers come together to solve fleet and energy management challenges in an integrated way.

However, it's crucial to adopt a holistic approach, considering all aspects of vehicle maintenance. Tyres play a significant role rolling resistance and therefore fuel consumption and emissions, choosing the right tyres and adopting technologies like a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) can bring significant impact to the fleet. TPMS allows fleet managers to monitor their tyre pressure and temperature in real-time, enabling them to optimise their fuel consumption and extend tyre lifespan, ultimately contributing to CO2 reduction efforts. ?

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In conclusion, what opportunities does 2024 hold for fleet management?

2024 will be a crucial one for fleet management, with safety and decarbonisation emerging as critical challenges that fleet operators will need to manage and overcome. Embracing innovative approaches and robust fleet management solutions allow fleet managers to leverage the right tools and strategies to help them navigate these trends and achieve impactful results.

The increasing pressure to address climate change and reduce CO2 emissions are both a challenge and an opportunity for fleet managers. Webfleet can support fleet managers to tackle these challenges and turn them into an opportunity to optimise their operations, minimise their environmental impact and remain competitive in an evolving marketplace. ??