Vehicle Technology Improving Driver Safety in Natural Gas Industry

In Vehicle Monitoring Systems (IVMS) are electronic devices fitted in vehicles with software that enables tracking of the vehicle and monitors driver behaviour and vehicle performance. IVMS, while not new, are rapidly becoming more technically functional and are being rolled out across most fleet operations, with heavy vehicles like trucks.

This plays a really big part in improving driver safety by measuring things as simple as seatbelts and as complex as fatigue, driving speed and braking. It allows drivers to receive immediate feedback on behaviour and to make changes in real time. Some IVMS include a dashboard which can provide drivers with live mapping for increased road safety.

All of this information can then be recorded and used in future training sessions with new employees in order to reduce initial risks. These improvements are vital, as almost half of all fatalities in Australian workplaces in 2016 were driving-related accidents.

In Queensland, natural gas companies Arrow Energy and Santos, have been rolling out IVMS in their fleets for several years already. While both of these companies are using it primarily to improve their drivers’ safety, they’re also using the data coming back from vehicles to identify troubled spots on the road.

Where too many ‘red flags’ are identified, the companies send work crews out to assess the roads their drivers are using. In cases of minor issues, the companies have sometimes been able to fix the issues on the road, and in instances of requirements for major repairs, they’ve been able to inform local governments. The industry says this is drastically improving road standards in Queensland.

For more information on technology in the natural gas industry, stay tuned to Brighter.

The natural gas industry directly employs thousands of Australians and continues to create jobs in local communities across the country. Not only that, industry jobs are well-paid. That’s great for those with jobs related to natural gas, but it also helps keep local communities running too.