Loke trying out a driving simulator by MIROS with (from left) Rajan, Digi chief executive officer Albern Murty, Miros director-general Dr Siti Zaharah Ishak and Logistics Worldwide Express chief operating officer Ng Shern Yau looking on.
SUBANG JAYA: Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) today launched the Digi Road Safety Programme 2019 to address rising concerns of road safety in the country.
The programme uses telematics data to help commercial vehicle drivers become better, safer drivers and is open to all SMEs from now until Dec 31. To participate, log on to digi.my/roadsafety
According to the Malaysia Transport Statistics (2017), there was an average of 2,034,893 daily traffic goers in Peninsular Malaysia and an average of 154,015 in East Malaysia. That same year, the Royal Malaysian Police reported 802,523 motor vehicles involved in road incidents.
Also, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) highlighted that human error contributed to 80% of the crashes in 2017; citing risky driving, speeding and fatigue as concerns.
“Technology can be effective for better enforcement, implementation of interventions and safety compliance on roads; and telematics could help improve road safety and build trust in road users, in this case, commercial vehicle drivers,” said Transport Minister Anthony Loke at the launch.
Vehicle telematics sends, receives and stores information of vehicles and drivers, using devices connected to the internet.
This technology can be used to improve road safety by monitoring driver behaviour, collecting vehicle data in terms of location, speed, acceleration, braking and cornering.
This data can be used to help commercial vehicle owners and drivers make more informed decisions to improve vehicle safety on the road, which is a key component of Digi’s 2019 Road Safety Programme.
Supported by the Ministry of Transport, the Road Safety Department of Malaysia and Miros, the programme includes three comprehensive initiatives to help small and medium enterprise (SME) commercial vehicle owners start, train and sustain safety driving habits among their drivers.
The first is to start with an RM10mil iFleet Transformation Fund, where 1,000 SMEs will receive up to RM10,000 each in discounts to kickstart their road safety journey by transforming their fleet with GPS Tracking, Wi-Fi and Video capabilities.
The second is to train commercial drivers with defensive driving professionals Where drivers are equipped with a variety of techniques to prevent road crashes, and will each receive an official certificate of completion.
Participating SMEs are entitled to a 15% discount off all training workshops, which are also 100% HRDF claimable.
The third initiative will see 10 of the safest drivers from each qualifying SME rewarded with Digi prizes for their excellent driving behaviour, based on their iFleet driving scores for the month.
“We are proactively working to improve road safety with vehicle telematics, and are now using our readily available competencies to start other companies on this journey.
Studies have revealed that telematics can influence reduced accident rates among commercial vehicle drivers.
This is because the data collected enables owners to better plan routes and schedules, recommend driver training and implement disciplinary action where needed.
"We strongly believe telematics is a practical tool that can uniquely address road safety concerns by creating a long-term safety mindset among commercial vehicle drivers, whose trustworthiness on our roads contributes significantly to the safety of other road users,” said Digi chief digital officer Praveen Rajan.
Digi’s Road Safety Programme is powered by iFleet, the company’s fleet management solution which provides real-time vehicle and driver behaviour information.
