IIHS: Fleets Saw Sharp Drop in Collisions, Wear After Adopting GPS‑Based Speed Tech
Fleets using active intelligent speed assistance are reporting fewer speeding violations, reduced aggressive driving and lower operating costs.
According to a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study based on interviews conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, one carrier saw preventable collisions fall 30%, while others interviewed reported less wear and tear, improved fuel economy and stronger Compliance, Safety, Accountability scores—including one that dropped from 65 to 20.
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Many fleets use speed governors to prevent their vehicles from exceeding an maximum speed limits. Active intelligent speed assistance, or ISA, uses road signs, GPS maps or both to identify the local speed limit and prevent drivers from accelerating beyond it. Unlike traditional speed governors, ISA can allow limited exceedance and short‑term overrides.
Fleet managers told researchers conducting the study that the systems also help companies avoid high‑profile incidents that can lead to lawsuits and negative publicity and can serve as a public demonstration of safety commitment.
The study draws on interviews with eight fleets that have implemented or piloted ISA, and one beginning a rollout, including seven freight carriers and two bus fleets, as well as fleets using passive ISA, technology providers and insurance firms.
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Key strategies included documenting baseline metrics, giving managers and drivers hands‑on demonstrations, engaging drivers throughout deployment and using small pilots to address geofencing errors.
IIHS President David Harkey said active ISA reduces the dangers of commercial speeding and saves fleets money. Speeding contributed to nearly 12,000 deaths in 2023, and Harkey said addressing it is critical to achieving a 30% reduction in fatalities by 2030.
“Active ISA addresses that danger and saves fleet operators money at the same time,” Harkey stated.