What to Know About 5G & Fleet Management Technology
5G is so much more than a buzzword. It signals a tidal shift for businesses and consumers alike across the globe. But specific to our world of fleet management, 5G is the next frontier and evolution of fleet management technology. The potential to improve safety and efficiency through this fast, low latency technology is significant.
The Coming Surge of the 5G Connected World of Vehicles
An eMarketer report released in late 2019 shows a big uptick in 5G IoT connected vehicles over the next few years. To see this kind of growth, from 11% to 29% of overall vehicles being connected—a 3.5X increase—is exciting.
How Will 5G Impact Fleet Managers?
To be clear, it’s not just 5G that is driving industry transformation.
It’s the confluence of AI, IoT AND 5G. That said, some of the affordances we are seeing now and can expect in the future include:
V2X Connectivity & New Safety Milestones
As more connected vehicles hit the streets, V2X or vehicle-to-everything will emerge as one of the core drivers of vehicle safety because, as Qualcomm puts it, V2X will bring forth “360º non-line-of-sight awareness and a higher level of predictability for enhanced road safety and autonomous driving.”
Imagine the impact on driver and road safety.
Fewer accidents mean reduced risk, improved uptime and more reliable projections with respect to shipping expectations.
Thanks to automakers and fleets implementing functionality like AEB & FCW, IICS estimates that by 2025, the commitment will prevent 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)Capabilities
Some of the most promising outcomes that ADAS can bring about include huge wins in safety improvements. And fewer accidents thanks to ADAS also has downstream consequences like fewer traffic jams and better driver satisfaction. Here are a few features to consider:
FCW & AEB
Forward collision warning (FCW) helps prevent front-to-rear collisions by signaling a warning to the driver and may include automatic emergency braking (AEB).
AEB and its adjacent features like traction control and collision warnings will reduce risk, assist with driver accountability and ultimately lead to safer roadways.
LDW
With lane assist and lane departure warning (LDW), vehicle sensors can help drivers avoid the perils of fatigue and distracted driving.
Faster Delivery of Connected Data
Perhaps one of the more overlooked benefits to fleet management comes in the form of data delivery.
Accurate data communicated with scary-fast frequency will help drive efficiencies as AI simultaneously advances through ongoing machine learning and the acceleration of data entering its matrices.
This means better insights from your telematics solutions and greater granularity in reporting and visualizing your data in real-time.
The Coming Regulatory Changes Fleet Managers Should Expect
In July 2020, NHSA Deputy Administrator James Owens spoke at the Automated Vehicles Symposium about the regulatory and safety requirements we might expect to see in the coming months and years:
“First, we are working on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or an ANPRM, on varying regulatory approaches to motor vehicles equipped with automated driving systems. We plan to seek public comment on the creation of a safety framework for objectively and transparently assessing and validating the safety performance of each ADS vehicle.
This ANPRM also plans to seek comment on developing and establishing a regulatory approach such as amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or developing alternative safety regulations relating to ADS vehicle performance.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s current documentation on ADS vehicle safety AKA AV 3.0 outlines the safety plans and commitments that government agencies are making. Future Marketing Insights recently noted that the “NHTSA and NCAP has instructed automotive manufacturers to arm all the vehicles with standard autonomous emergency braking (AEB)” by 2022.
Approaching New Thresholds of Efficiency in Fleet Managment
IoT deployment will only expand exponentially as more 5G functionality rolls out. To recap a few benefits of IoT deployment, here’s a quick reference:
Source: eMarketer
If you’re looking forward to the future of fleet management and the affordances we’ll see as 5G, AI and the IoT evolve and converge, you’re not alone. At GPS Trackit, we couldn’t be more excited. And we’d love to talk with you about it and how your fleet can make the most of these advances in technology.
Curious what advanced telematics and fleet management solutions can do for your business? Speak to one of our fleet advisors who can help you understand how to best address the needs of your fleet.
