Implementation of Telematics in Missouri DOT Fleet Vehicles Improved Seat Belt Usage by 99.3 Percent and Reduced Speeding Events by 98 to 100 Percent.
The Missouri DOT Statewide Implementation of Telematics Devices in Highway Vehicles Has Significantly Improved Driver Safety Behaviors.
Statewide, Missouri, United States
MoDOT Results 2023
Summary Information
To improve driver and fleet safety, the Missouri DOT implemented telematics to reduce at-risk driving behavior and take a proactive approach to fleet maintenance. The department completed a statewide rollout in 2021, with all department highway vehicles equipped with telematics devices by April 2023. The telematics system was designed to alert drivers when they engaged in unsafe behaviors, such as not wearing seat belts or exceeding speed limits. This implementation was part of MoDOT's broader safety initiatives to protect both their employees and the traveling public.
METHODOLOGY
MoDOT installed telematics devices in all department highway vehicles to monitor driver behavior and provide real-time feedback on safety violations. The system tracks seat belt usage and vehicle speed relative to posted speed limits, among other safety metrics. Data was collected from January 2021 through 2023.
FINDINGS
The safety evaluation showed that since January 2021, the department saw a 99.3 percent improvement in employees wearing their seat belts. In the same time period, speeding events of 6 mph over the posted speed limit decreased by 98 percent, and those of 15 mph over the speed limit decreased by 100 percent, with zero events recorded since February 2023.
Additional benefits included approximately $1 million in savings by being able to refute false claims with factual telematics data. The use of telematics also improved reporting efficiencies, saving tens of thousands of hours of work by integrating with the MoDOT Management System and automatically populating data. Customer service was enhanced by sending digital alerts to the traveling public of approaching emergency response vehicles or work zones.
