I was involved in a debate the other day about tech, in particular tech that doesn't help the driver or is counter productive for a business. I had quite a think about this, after all we are constantly fed a line about how helpful tech is to our everyday lives.
The debate was triggered by a headline that Tesla were being ordered to recall nearly 1.1 million vehicles, very dramatic, until you realise its because the windows close to quickly and someone could get their fingers trapped. While this made quite a bit of news, the recall I recently had for my Mercedes didn't get much news, despite the fact that this is a failure in the air bag system and requires a visit to the workshop for a new part (Tesla say they can manage thier recall with a software update).
It led to broader thoughts, does all the tech being fitted change our behaviour? Are we getting safer drivers who are more cautious of the way they drive or are we creating a generation of drivers who believe that the technology will stop them from having an incident and when that incident does happen they are shocked by it "How did that happen? I dont understand" I hear being cried out to managers, insurers and anyone else who has to listen.
Employers should take a moment here and have a think about the tech they are providing and what happens when it goes wrong. A few common bits of tech to consider;
lane change warning systems - does that make the driver more conscious of their surroundings or less so and what happens when it gets turned off?
On board cameras - do they modify your drivers behaviour or are they just their in case Karen or Steve decide they are having a bad day and brake check your driver
Satnavs - fall into the "really useful tech category" dont they, after all how on earth would we get from Bolton to Manchester without one? How about Satnavs with no screen so its jut an audible voice? Would that work for you? No -think of it this way, when you take the 2-3 secs to look at the screen to see how far 200 meters is, that's when the child walks into the road.
There is an almost endless list of tech that is being produced, some from vehicle manufacturers and others from the aftermarket sector, but my thought is this, if you are in the position to source vehicles or equipment for them, consider very carefully what it is that you want and the reasons you want it.
I have talked to so many customers over the years that have purchased tech only to find out that its not fit for purpose, implementing wasn't technically possible or worse that they had no engagement with key stakeholders and gave up trying to implement the tech as they couldn't get the buy in from the workforce for it.
If you want to have a chat about the relationship between tech and driver behaviours then I am always ready to do so.
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