IIHS study provides best practices for active intelligent speed assistance (ISA) on fleets

A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study provides best practices for fleet operators working to implement active intelligent speed assistance (ISA) in commercial vehicles.

“Many fleets have long used speed governors that prevent their vehicles from exceeding an absolute maximum, such as 65 mph,” a release on the report says. “Active ISA is more flexible. It uses road signs, GPS maps, or a combination of both to determine the local speed limit and prevents the driver from accelerating beyond it. Most systems can also be configured to allow drivers to exceed the posted limit by a certain margin or percentage.”

The study, prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, found that for eight organizations that have deployed GPS-based versions of the technology across their vehicle fleets or in small pilot programs, the benefits have extended beyond reducing speeding violations. 

“Speeding by commercial drivers is especially dangerous because they drive large, heavy vehicles,” IIHS President David Harkey said in the release. “Active ISA addresses that danger and saves fleet operators money at the same time.”

The study found a general decrease in aggressive driving, which contributed to a 30% reduction in preventable collisions for one carrier, the release says. Less speeding also reduced wear and tear, leading to lower maintenance costs, and some fleets noted increases in fuel economy. 

Fewer speeding violations also contributed to improved Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores. For one company, the CSA score, which increases with each violation, fell from about 65 to 20. 

“Others noted that ISA could help companies avoid high-profile incidents that can lead to lawsuits and negative publicity,” the release says. “Implementing ISA could also be a public relations asset, demonstrating a commitment to safety.” 

Researchers interviewed key personnel at eight fleets that had implemented or piloted active ISA and one fleet at the beginning of a rollout. This included seven freight transporters operating heavy trucks and two bus fleets. They also spoke with fleets that had implemented passive ISA, which only alerts drivers when they exceed the limit, and other stakeholders such as technology providers and insurance firms. 

The study found key strategies to include: 

• • Explaining to leadership the potential benefits prior to implementing: This includes how ISA could avoid risk and lower costs. The company’s metrics should be documented, such as CSA score, number of cost and physical damage claims, frequency of speeding and collisions, and fuel burn rates. 
  • Management and drivers should be given an opportunity to experience how ISA works firsthand: This can address misconceptions that it can be distracting and cause problems by braking suddenly. 
  • Drivers should be engaged with before, during, and after deployment to improve driver buy-in: Fleet managers should emphasize the difference between old speed governors and active ISA, which allows more flexibility. This includes protecting drivers from legal consequences or disciplinary action. Active ISA can also intervene to slow the vehicle down in the event of a medical emergency. 
  • The technology should be piloted on a small scale to identify technical challenges: For example, ISA systems can incorrectly identify speed limits from roads adjacent to interstate entrance ramps and in other situations. The release says these can generally be corrected within as little as 24 hours. Fleets can be customized to allow drivers to exceed the limit by a designated threshold and override the system for short periods. 

“Addressing this risky behavior is critical if we want to realize our 30×30 vision of reducing fatalities 30% by 2030,” Harkey said. “Fleets can lead the way.”

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