Report claims driver exoneration a key reason for using safety technology

Research conducted by fleet management software developer Teletrac Navman claims 84 percent of fleets cite driver exoneration as a leading reason for deploying safety technology, with 53 percent of fleets that suffered accidents in the past 12 months successfully able to exonerate a driver.

The company’s report, “Mobilizing the Future of Fleets: 2026 Risk and Exoneration Edition,” says 34 percent of fleets reported being impacted by fraudulent motor claims. Seventy-seven percent of respondents also reported increasing litigation and legal costs now are a global concern, made evident by rising fleet insurance premiums, with umbrella liability coverage increasing from 10 percent to 30 percent, and auto liability from 10 percent to 20 percent.

“The role of telematics is evolving and taking on a more strategic purpose in fleet organizations, moving solely from a tool used for cost control and improvements, to an extremely powerful, proactive risk prevention and management solution,” says Alain Samaha, CEO of Northbrook, Illinois-based Teletrac Navman, a Vontier company. “A high percentage of fleet safety incidents are caused by third parties and other external factors, and video telematics is now the most powerful tool to provide irrefutable, contextual evidence that protects people, preserves reputations and stabilizes margins.

Teletrac Navman’s research claims that modern fleets also are taking a “considered and layered approach” to risk management, with 56 percent utilizing five or more technologies and 74 percent partnering telematics with dashcams. The company says the combination provides fleets with the full context around driving events, combining performance metrics, video evidence and location data to create a complete, defensible picture when incidents occur and for driver training.

Since implementing safety technology, 85 percent of fleets have reported being able to counter the general rise in insurance premiums, with 65 percent recording premium decreases, according to Teletrac Navman’s report. Additionally, it says 70 percent of respondents reported that combining cameras with telematics data drastically reduced the time needed to process accident claims.

“This is a moment for fleet leaders to make a positive, strategic shift,” Samaha says. “Treat safety tech as a long-term asset: invest in platforms that scale, embed evidence into everyday workflows and fraud protection and use outcomes to renegotiate insurance and drive operational change. Do this, and safety becomes a competitive differentiator—not just a line on a budget, but a foundation for resilience and growth.”