Telematics – more commonly known as a ‘black box’ – are often linked with young or inexperienced drivers, and are seen by some people as ‘spying devices,’ reporting on your speed and location to your insurer.
However, modern telematics can be very useful in proving who is at fault when an accident happens, where and when it happened, the speed of the impact, and even when somebody is faking the accident happening. All very useful for helping the safety and security of taxi drivers everywhere.
And while taxi fleets have been using telematics for some time now, single cabbies can now benefit from using these systems – and possibly save money on their taxi insurance renewal.
Dashcams are part of the answer. Telematics give the proof you need.
Dashcams are now widely used by taxi drivers. They show footage of incidents happening inside and outside the cab, helping you to stay safe as you carry out your job.
They can also prove very useful in showing when a ‘crash for cash’ scam happens, like this laughable incident which might have resulted in a successful claim without the footage.
But while it’s quite easy to prove who is at fault in an incident like this, it becomes more of an issue when an accident happens such as a vehicle pulling out in front of you at a junction or roundabout. The dashcam can show the incident happening, but can you prove what speed you were travelling at when the impact happened, for example?
This is one of the reasons telematics are useful to single taxi drivers, as well as fleets.
Modern telematics show:
- Vehicle speed and G-force in the event of an impact
- Miles per gallon and fuel levels
- Engine malfunctions and diagnostic issues
- Driving behaviour (e.g. braking intensity or acceleration frequency)
- Whether the ignition is on, doors are open or a panic alarm has been activated
- What gear is being used
- Weight of the vehicle’s load
The data collected can be sent straight to an insurer’s claims department if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident, showing exactly where the incident happened on the road and the speed of impact.
When combined with footage from dashcams, this is great information for insurers to prove who is at fault and settle a claim as quickly as possible.
Taxi fleet operators use telematics to show where their vehicles are on the road, to send the nearest vehicle to a pick up, make sure that drivers are safe on the road and detect any issues with their vehicles.
Challenge us to save money with our new policy
Many taxi fleet owners have been saving money using telematics for some time now, helping to reduce the number of claims they have and keeping the cost of their insurance renewal down.
Now, it’s the turn of single vehicle taxi drivers to try and save money on their policy.
ChoiceQuote has access to a new policy that can offer discounts for taxi drivers who install telematics in a single taxi, adding to our taxi fleet offering where we can offer to install competitively-priced telematics on your behalf.
Why not try us for your taxi renewal quote and ask if installing telematics can save you money on your insurance?
Give us a call on 01625 400201 and we’ll see if we can help you save money on your insurance if you install telematics. They can also help keep you safe and protect your livelihood, too.