Category: Fleet News

With many drivers now reaping the benefits of a dash cam, it appears that their popularity is only set to increase. There are a number of advantages of this technology, but how can you ensure that you are making the most out of a dashboard camera?

What is a dash cam?

A dash cam is a camera that is mounted onto the dashboard of your vehicle (as the name suggests). They can be installed to draw power from your vehicle. However, some also have a battery or capacitor to ensure the files save properly when the power is disconnected.

The idea behind these cameras is that any incidents will be recorded. This footage can be used as evidence for any legal disputes, or more commonly can be used to bolster an insurance claim.

In fact, insurers offer reduced premiums when you state that you have a dash cam installed. It’s argued that the presence of the camera also encourages safer driving.

How to optimise your camera usage

Find the best placement

Position your camera as close to the middle of the dashboard as possible. This way, the camera will record an accurate view of the road ahead. If it’s badly positioned, the footage may be missing some crucial information.

If the camera was on the left hand side of the dashboard for example, and another driver hit you from the right, there’d be no footage of the incident.

To further optimise your camera’s view, it’s recommended that you place it as high as possible.

Be conscious of glare

On a similar note, pointing the camera too far upwards can create some problems too. The brightness from the sun can cause the camera to overcompensate and bring the overall light levels of the footage down. This means the sky will look normal whilst everything else will be too dark. In this case, the events in the footage may not be visible and rendered useless.

Make sure your camera is pointed directly forwards so the road ahead is in view – do not point it upwards at all.

Keep your windscreen clean!

It might seem obvious, but clean your windscreen often! You’d surely kick yourself if your camera would have captured the incident if it weren’t for a dirty smudge you’d neglected to clean for weeks!

Dirt on the window in front of the lens could also cause your camera to focus on the wrong thing. If this were to happen, your footage might consist of one very clear speck of dirt and a blurry accident in the background that you can’t quite make out.

On a similar note, during unpleasant weather, ensure your wipers are working well. They’ll need to be wiping the water off the windscreen quickly. Otherwise, you’ll have the same issues as you would if the window was dirty.

Get a memory card with plenty of storage

To get the best evidence of any incidents, it’s obviously best to set your dash cam to record at the highest quality. However, higher quality recordings will take up more storage in your memory card. Therefore, it makes sense to find a memory card with a decent amount of storage.

Luckily, the average card size as been increasing over time. A 16GB or 32GB card will be more reasonably priced than it would have been a few years ago.

There are plenty of SD cards that will integrate perfectly with your system. Whilst the cards with higher storage will be more expensive, they could definitely save you money further down the line.

Are dash cams worth it?

Having footage of an accident is becoming more valuable every year. AA claim that having a camera installed “could be the answer to settling insurance disputes and claims”.

Consider that the price of a dashboard camera could be as little as £25 depending on the model. For such a small price, you could be making huge savings.

For example, if you were involved in an incident where another driver drove into your vehicle, you’d be pretty concerned about the insurance implications. But, since you’ve got a recording of the incident, you may not need to worry!

Since dash cam footage is becoming accepted by a growing number of insurers, they are definitely worth having one installed. In the above example, you could submit the footage of the incident and there would be no doubt that it was the other driver who was at fault. Their insurer would have to pay for the damages, whilst you could keep your no claims discount.

With that in mind, we would argue getting a camera installed is definitely worth the investment.

Could installing a dash cam help your fleet?

We know that being able to record incidents can be great for your finances. Having a camera installed on each of your fleet’s vehicles seems like a no-brainer!

Take a look at the Tele-Gence team’s wide range of hardware, including cameras and other useful equipment that is designed to increase the efficiency and safety of your fleet’s day to day operations. Get in touch with our expert team today, and we’ll have you saving in no time.

A worrying new statistic shows that catalytic converter theft has risen by over 100% since 2019. This is a growing problem UK, as well as several reports of similar crimes in other countries such as the US.

If your catalytic converter were to be stolen, it would be an expensive problem to solve. What can you do to stop this from happening and avoid the hefty repair fees?

Why do people steal catalytic converters?

Catalytic converters are targeted for the precious metals that are used to make them. The price of these metals has been soaring since 2019, making them an ideal target for thieves.

Depending on the metal used in the converter, thieves could sell a stolen catalytic converter on for over £200. Since they are not difficult to steal, it’s easy to see why they are being targeted. However, to replace a stolen converter could cost as much as £1,000.

Owners of hybrid vehicles need to be extra vigilant. Figures from Which? show that among the most commonly targeted cars for catalyst converter theft are Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris, and Honda Jazz; all hybrid cars.

Since the converters on hybrid vehicles are used less, the metal corrodes slower. This, and the fact that hybrid vehicles tend to be newer to the market, means that thieves are keen to get their hands on these clean, undamaged converters. They’ll get a better price for the undamaged scrap metal.

How to prevent your catalytic converter from being stolen

1. Park in a safe and well-lit area

Firstly, consider whether you could be parking in a safer place. For many, roadside parking is the only option. In this event, it is advisable to park in a well-lit area that thieves would avoid out of fear of being seen.

If possible, avoid mounting the curb when you park. The raised angle actually makes your vehicle an ideal target for catalytic converter theft. Thieves will have easier access to the underside of your vehicle.

On a similar note, parking close to a wall, fence, or right up against the curb is another way to make the underside of your vehicle difficult to access.

Of course, the safest parking option is a locked garage. However, this is a luxury that many don’t have. Therefore, it saves to apply the above cautions when parking your vehicles.

2. Prevent access to the underside of your vehicle

If possible, avoid mounting the curb when you park. The raised angle actually makes your vehicle an ideal target for catalytic converter theft, providing thieves with even easier access to the underside of your vehicle.

On a similar note, parking close to a wall, fence, or right up against the curb is another way to ensure thieves can’t access underneath your vehicle.

3. Install a car alarm

A great way to deter thieves is to install a car alarm. If a thief begins tampering with your car and sets off an alarm, the chances they will stick around to finish the job are very low.

If you have no choice but to park on the road, this is a great option. In residential areas, your neighbours will also be made aware of the tampering – thieves will not likely return in a hurry.

In fact, installing a car alarm can grant you a discount on insurance premiums. They reduce the chances of having your car broken into or tampered with, which helps to keep your insurance record clean.

4. Use forensic tracking

Whilst not commonly advertised compared to a car alarm, there are tools available to mark your property forensically. Smart Water, for example, is a liquid that marks your property with a forensic code. At first glance, this may not sound like a preventative measure for catalytic converter theft.

However, police can use this code to trace the property back to you – and criminals know this. Research has suggested that 74% of thieves will be deterred from attempting to steal from a property that bares a Smart Water logo. You can place the logo in the windows of your vehicle. Thieves will see it and realise that your catalytic converter might be forensically marked and not want to take the risk.

5. Weld your converter to the frame

Most catalytic converters are attached to the vehicle with bolts, making theft fairly easy with the right tools.

To combat this, it is possible to have a mechanic weld the converter onto the frame. This doesn’t make it impossible to remove, but very difficult without specific tools.

However, it is suggested that welding the converter directly onto your vehicle can cause issues. The device won’t be able to freely vibrate as the vehicle moves, which could cause strain on other parts of the chassis.

6. Add a protective shield

Shields or cages are available that can be fitted to the underside of your vehicle that encase the converter, making it very difficult to steal.

The CatClamp, for example, surrounds the converter in thick wires. In addition, it locks the converter to the chassis in up to 7 places, making it very frustrating for a thief to remove. It is available in different models, and can be fitted to different sized and shaped converters.

Catloc, on the other hand, encases the catalytic converter in a metal casing to prevent theft. It is recommended by UK police forces, and also approved by 6 international vehicle manufacturers.

Enhance your vehicle security with Tele-Gence telematics

With a telematics services such as Tele-Gence, you’ll get an added layer of security and peace of mind.

The technology fitted to your vehicles (which links seamlessly with your fuel card account) will notify you of any out-of-hours activity or signs of tampering.

If your vehicle is stolen, the on board tracking would notify you of its position. This makes catching the thief a much easier job for the police. It should also speed up the process of getting your vehicles back, reducing down time and maintaining a steady income.

Get in touch with the Tele-Gence team today, and find out how you could keep your vehicles safe and secure, as well as plenty of other benefits.

There are tens of thousands of road accidents in the UK each year; the causes of which are well documented by police that attend the scene.

In 2019, traffic accidents caused 153,158 casualties of all severities. This ranges from the 121,262 people who were slightly injured, to the 1,752 lives lost in accidents.

With such high numbers, it is important that drivers understand the reasons for accidents and collisions so that the roads become a safer place for everyone.

The top 5 causes of traffic accidents in 2019

Whilst these numbers look incredibly high, they are in fact the lowest they have been since 1979. It can be assumed that the amount of car accidents in 2020 were even lower, due to a huge number of people staying at home rather than being on the road.

With life returning to normal, however, our roads are becoming noticeably busy again. Drivers should take note of the main causes of accidents to continue the downward trend.

Driver failed to look properly

39% of UK road accidents in 2019 were due to the driver or rider not sufficiently observing their surroundings. This makes it the most common reason for collisions, but is equally the most preventable.

This could be due to tiredness – we’ve all seen the “tiredness kills” signs on the road, and this isn’t an exaggeration.

Commuters might also become overly familiar with their route. With familiarity comes complacency. They may not feel the need to concentrate as they have done the journey hundreds of times with no problems, why stay alert now?

Unfortunately, this is not a valid argument, and is the cause of potentially fatal accidents. Driving requires a great deal of care and attention. This 39% of accidents are a result of when that care and attention isn’t given.

This is a huge problem in congested areas such as Greater London. In HGVs, it might not even be possible for a driver to properly observe their surroundings with all the blind spots found in larger vehicles like this. TFL have introduced the Direct Vision Standard, which ensures visibility and awareness in HGVs. If a vehicle does not meet the standard, additional cameras, mirrors and sensors need to be installed to improve driver awareness. With this standard in place, it is hoped that commuter deaths and injuries will be a thing of the past by 2041.

Driver failed to judge another person’s path or speed

21% of the UK’s accidents occurred as a result of a poor judgement. For example, a driver at a junction might see another car coming but thought they had enough time to pull out. Or a driver at a roundabout might assume an oncoming car is turning when, in fact, it isn’t.

There’s a fine line between anticipating a driver’s next moves and making reckless assumptions. If the incoming vehicle is not indicating, do not assume it will deviate from its current course. The highway code suggests that, if unsure, simply wait for a safe gap. If you pull out and cause another vehicle to have to slow down or stop, you have placed other road users in danger.

Driver was careless, reckless, or in a hurry

17% of UK road accidents were caused by drivers were not driving to the best of their ability. Sometimes this is for reasons such as being late for work and going too fast. Driving too close to the car in front is also the cause of many accidents.

It is important to remember that, despite any pressure on you to be on time, nothing is worth you putting lives at risk to be on time.

On the other hand, a portion of these accidents can be attributed to drivers being on their phones, or just not paying attention to the road for other reasons. Heavy fines are in place to stop this behaviour, and tighter laws are expected within the next few years.

Poor turn or manoeuvre

12% of UK road traffic accidents in 2019 happened due to poor manoeuvres.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the drivers were being reckless. They may have misjudged the speed at which to approach a turning and caused a collision. Or, if a driver turns too late, they don’t leave themselves enough space to turn into the road and could hit another vehicle, or even a pedestrian on the pavement.

Perhaps this statistic accounts for accidents that occur in car parks. Trying to back into a spot and hitting an adjacent car could definitely be defined as a poor manoeuvre.

Unlike most of the other causes, this one is difficult to find a solution for, other than simply encouraging extra vigilance during circumstances where such manoeuvres could cause an incident.

Losing control

11% of reported accidents happened after a driver lost control of their vehicle. This is often caused by dangerous weather conditions such as heavy rain or ice.

It is important to remember that, during these conditions, your vehicle will not be able to brake as efficiently as you are accustomed to. Driving too fast in certain wet conditions can cause aquaplaning. You may not be able to steer and your brakes might cause you to skid.

In these conditions, it is advised that you drive at a much slower speed than usual. This will allow you to maintain greater control over your vehicle.

If you experience a front wheel skid, do not try to straighten the wheel. Keep the steering wheel in turned towards the direction of the skid. Release the accelerator and do not attempt to brake.

In the event of a rear wheel skid, you need to steer towards it. If your vehicle slides to the left, steer to the left as a response. Again, keeping your foot off the brake is paramount in these situations.

What should I do in a car accident?

If you are involved in an accident, it is vital that you stop your vehicle when it is safe to do so. Failing to do so is a criminal offence and could be viewed as an admission of guilt.

The police must be informed if:

• someone is injured
• a vehicle is damaged
• property is damaged
• if certain animals are injured – especially livestock

GoCompare suggests that apologising to other drivers involved is not a good idea. Whilst polite, it could be viewed as an admission that the accident was your fault, even if it wasn’t.

Information must be shared between all those involved. Do not leave the scene of the incident without having given and received the following information:

• names and address
• vehicle registration, including model of vehicle
• contact details such as phone number or email address
• insurance company name and policy number
• driving licence number

If there were any witnesses to the accident, be sure to collect their contact details too as the information they hold may be vital when dealing with the insurance claims.

Make sure to get in touch with your insurer within 24 hours of the accident. Otherwise, your insurance may be invalidated.

Using telematics to reduce accidents in your fleet

As a fleet manager, it’s fair to be concerned about the implications of your vehicles being involved in accidents. If they are damaged, they will spend unscheduled time being repaired, slowing productivity.

However, if your vehicles were fitted with telematics, you’d be able to see when your drivers have developed habits such as speeding, aggressive turning or sudden braking. From here, you can train drivers to correct these habits. This will not only reduce risk of vehicle damage, but help to keep your employees safe, along with other road users.

Along with other benefits such as monitoring the condition of your vehicles, telematics can help to keep our roads safer. Get in touch with the team at TeleGence to find out how telematics can help your fleet.

The UK’s roads are home to around 7,000 speed cameras – the fourth highest amount in the world, beaten only by Russia, Italy, and Brazil. But are all of these speed cameras always on?

How do speed cameras work?

Using detectors in the road and radar technology, as well as working in conjunction with traffic lights, speed cameras can calculate the speed of a passing vehicle and identify those going over the speed limit. Speed cameras will then capture a digital image of any offending vehicle that identifies its colour, make, model and registration.

The first speed camera to be installed in the UK was a Gatso camera in 1991 on the M40. Whilst there are as many as 15 different types of speed camera used in the UK, the Gatso camera is the most common, with nearly 4,000 of them on our roads. These big yellow boxes are instantly recognisable.

How do Gatso speed cameras work?

The Gatso uses radar technology to detect a speeding vehicle. If a vehicle is speeding, the camera will be activated. Two pictures are taken in quick succession. By using the white lines painted on the road, the camera can measure the vehicle’s speed. The camera will determine that the vehicle must have been travelling at x miles per hour to move from one point to another in the time between the two pictures.

The Gatso speed camera is rear facing. They are positioned like this because of their flash. If they were front facing and took a picture, the flash could potentially blind drivers looking directly at the camera, causing the accidents they are designed to prevent. By measuring the vehicle’s length, the Gatso camera can also determine the speed limit imposed on it. A van might have a limit of 60mph on a dual carriageway for example, whilst a car is allowed to go to 70mph.

There are other variants of speed camera on the UK’s roads. Some use infrared technology to capture images without using a flash so they can be front facing. Others use two sets of cameras placed a set distance apart. They determine the speed of the vehicle by recording how long it takes it to reach the second camera from the first.

How does a Truvelo speed camera work?

Another speed camera commonly used in the UK is the Truvelo speed camera. Unlike the Gatso, the Truvelo is a forward-facing camera. The key advantage of having a speed camera face forwards rather than backwards is that it can also capture the driver of a speeding vehicle.

While the Gatso camera calculates a vehicles speed as it passes the camera, the Truvelo is activated by two sensors that are placed before the camera. Using a similar method, as the vehicle passes over these sensors the time taken between the two will calculate the speed and activate the camera as necessary.

Truvelo cameras don’t create a bright flash but instead use infra-red flash to capture and image of speeding vehicles. This flash is much lighter and doesn’t risk blinding the driver and causing distraction or accident. For this reasons, you can’t guarantee you haven’t been caught speeding if a speed camera didn’t flash.

HADECS – Motorway speed cameras

HADEC speed cameras are a relatively new type of speed camera, introduced in 2014, and are the speed camera most commonly found on UK motorways. HADEC stands for Highway Agency Digital Enforcement Camera System, and it’s known as the’ stealth camera’ due to its small size.

HADEC speed camera use a non-intrusive dual radar to detect speeding vehicles regardless of weather conditions. They can be used for monitoring as many as five lanes of traffic.

Which speed cameras are active?

Despite there being nearly 7,000 physical cameras on our roads, not all of them are working. In fact, research in 2017 suggests that only half of them are operational.

A freedom of information request by The Press Association in 2017 resulted in many regional police forces outlining how many of their speed cameras were active.

Police from the counties of Durham, North Yorkshire and Northamptonshire all revealed that none of their cameras were active at the time. Their cameras, however, are left standing when not active. The sight of the speed cameras is said to be enough to deter drivers from speeding in the first place.

Other counties report that only a small percentage of their speed cameras are currently operating. Out of the 272 cameras in Staffordshire, only 14 are active. In Scotland, just over a quarter of the cameras are active, whilst just over half of Wales’ cameras are on.

However, it’s worth remembering that this information is four years old. There could be more active cameras on the roads now, or even less.

How to tell if a speed camera is working

The only visible way to know if a camera is operational would be to look out for the flash. However, many types of camera don’t need a flash as they rely on infrared technology, or use a filter to protect drivers from the light. Also, on a brightly lit road, the camera might not need to flash in the first place.

Whilst the Gatso camera does flash, it is also rear facing. Turning around or looking in the mirror in the hope of catching a flash would simply draw your attention away from the road, putting yourself and others at risk.

With that in mind, it’s safest to assume that there is no way of knowing if the camera is working. The RAC recommend that the best option is to not worry about the whether the speed cameras are operational or not, but simply concentrate on not speeding in the first place!

How to beat average speed cameras

With modern cameras like the HADECS so finely tuned to identify and capture speeding vehicles, it’s incredibly difficult to beat the average speed cameras. Developing technology means speed cameras are now able to monitor multiple lanes in all weather conditions, whilst also adjusting according to variable speed limits.

Since the purpose of speed cameras is to deter drivers from speeding, and with their reliability only increasing, the best way to beat speed cameras is to not to trigger them at all.

What happens to those caught speeding?

If you are caught speeding on camera, you will be sent notice within 14 days. Interestingly, if you receive notice of the offense after the 14-day period, the notice is invalid.

You will be sent a Section 172 notice which must be returned to the police within 28 days. This notice acts as a way for you to inform the police of the identity of the driver. The notice will be sent to whoever the vehicle is registered to. This may not be the driver behind the wheel at the time of the offense.

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points on your license. Having 12 points put on your license could result you being disqualified from driving for 3 years.

Encourage your drivers to avoid speeding

If your fleet consists of several drivers, the thought of any number of them breaking the rules of the road can be a daunting one.

By introducing telematics to your vehicles, you can keep track of your drivers’ habits. If you notice a driver regularly speeding, you can bring it up with them and offer advice and training to make sure this doesn’t continue.

Get in touch with the team at Tele-Gence today and find out how telematics could be of benefit to the safety of your fleet.