Fleet safety programs are evolving as operations become more complex and data-driven. In June, a two-part webinar series deployed by Geotab and Mike Albert Fleet Solutions examined current trends in fleet safety, focusing on how video technologies, artificial intelligence, and behavioral data are shaping new approaches to risk management.

The sessions covered tools and strategies for incident prevention, driver coaching, and performance benchmarking, as well as methods for applying predictive analytics and real-time feedback systems to support safety goals.

The Ever-Rising Cost of Risk

The first webinar opened by examining the scale of the problem: 87% of vehicle collisions are attributable to preventable driver behavior. The speakers then moved beyond topline statistics to actual costs.

“A single accident can cost a company up to $200,000 — not including nuclear verdicts, which will cost in the millions,” said Jamie Lox, senior marketing manager at Geotab. “And those verdicts are increasingly targeting not just companies, but the humans managing the tools.”

The data showed that unsafe behaviors — particularly speeding, harsh braking, tailgating, and lane weaving — are more predictive of future crashes than many fleets realize. Surprisingly, seatbelt use, while vital for injury prevention, isn’t a reliable leading indicator of crash risk. What matters more is how and where people drive.

Predictions Based on Real-Time Behavior

In the webinar, Geotab outlined how its AI model is measuring risk in new ways. Instead of relying on retroactive scorecards or monthly violation tallies, the platform now delivers collision risk predictions based on real-time driver behavior, environmental context (urban vs. rural, traffic patterns, weather), and vehicle type.

This shift has been particularly important for fleets tasked with coaching hundreds of drivers individually. “We’re benchmarking drivers not just internally, but across similar fleets — same vehicle classes, same driving environments — so you can coach based on fair, apples-to-apples comparisons,” said Lox.

That benchmarking feeds into Geotab’s Safety Center, a risk analytics dashboard that prioritizes which drivers pose the highest future crash risk. It’s designed not only to enable early intervention but also to remove ambiguity for frontline managers who may otherwise be unsure how to act on raw data.

Dashcams as Defense, Surveillance or Both

Cameras, especially when integrated into a broader telematics ecosystem, are now regarded as essential safety infrastructure. But not all camera strategies are created equal or are universally embraced.

The conversation underscored that fleets now have real choices in how they deploy video, depending on their organizational culture, privacy concerns, and risk profiles. 

Geotab, for instance, offers a native road-facing-only camera (GoFocus) that’s ideal for fleets with privacy sensitivities or union constraints. This option helps capture incident context and supports coaching while avoiding in-cab video entirely.

Fleets that want more in-depth behavior modeling — such as in-cab alerts and driver-facing video — can integrate solutions like the Surfsight AI-12 camera through Geotab’s marketplace. Both setups feed into the same analytics platform, meaning fleets can maintain consistency in driver coaching while tailoring the level of video insight to what’s appropriate for their operations.

As Lox explained, the company’s philosophy is that high-fidelity telematics data — such as harsh braking, close following, cornering, and environmental variables — can often predict crash risk without needing to capture a driver’s face.

Christina Hartzler, a former fleet manager and now a client partnership manager at Mike Albert, noted that for fleets that do choose driver-facing cameras, transparency and staged implementation are key to overcoming resistance. She shared the example of a national HVAC and plumbing fleet that started with a pilot, layered in training and incentives, and saw both incident frequency and pushback decline.

A Two-Way Accountability Tool

Both webinars underscored the importance of internal champions, not just tech rollouts. “Start small,” Hartzler advised. “You don’t put cameras in 1,000 trucks overnight. Find 10 drivers, let them test it, and let them spread the word when it works.”

This approach was reflected in how many fleets now build safety programs. Instead of punishing risky behavior, companies are emphasizing coaching, peer comparisons, and even gamified apps.

Geotab’s new Vitality app, for example, gives drivers performance goals and rewards, like gift cards, for safe driving streaks. The approach taps into the same behavioral science behind fitness apps or step challenges.

The real shift comes in framing video not as surveillance but as a two-way accountability tool. In one example, a fleet exonerated a driver within minutes of being accused of a crash simply by pulling the camera footage and sharing it with police.

Managing Cameras & Legal Exposure

One concern raised during Q&A was whether video data could be used against the company in litigation. Geotab’s Joel Ko acknowledged that while storing sensitive footage creates a record, the benefits — particularly in resolving false claims, improving training, and protecting brand reputation — outweigh the risks.

Fleets can set their own retention periods and access controls to manage legal exposure. “What matters is transparency,” said Hartzler. “Drivers should know who sees what, and why. And they should see how the footage protects them, too.”

Bridging Safety, Tech, and the Bottom Line

In the second webinar, which included a live demo of the MyGeotab platform and Surfsight dashcam integration, the presenters stressed how safety connects to broader fleet goals of cost containment, retention, and operational uptime.

“Safety isn’t just a compliance checkbox,” Ko said. “It’s a profitability driver. Less downtime, fewer injuries, fewer false claims — all that goes back to your bottom line.”

And as predictive tools grow more precise, the burden on humans may shrink, but the need for oversight grows. “AI might tell you who’s risky,” Lox noted, “but it’s up to you to act on it.”

It's Always About Culture

Technology now gives fleet managers unprecedented tools to prevent, not just respond to, safety incidents. But none of it works in isolation. Fleets that succeed at building a culture of safety are those that commit to communication, phased implementation, fairness in coaching, and trust-building with drivers.

As Lox put it, “We’re not just trying to tell drivers what they did wrong. We’re trying to give them a mirror, so they can correct before it counts against them.”