While many people associate behavioral science with fields like sales, marketing, and customer experience, what is often overlooked is its potential in transforming road safety. Human behavior is the most significant factor influencing the risk of collisions, as every choice a driver makes has profound consequences for themselves and those around them. By applying behavioral science to road safety, we can drive real, lasting change—helping to prevent accidents, reduce fatalities, and ultimately build safer communities.
Vitality has spent over 10 years meticulously studying driver behavior, leveraging data analysis, behavioral economics, and actuarial science to identify and promote safer driving practices. This in-depth research has led to the development of the 5:3:60 Model, a framework that highlights five key risky driving behaviors: drinking and driving, phone use while driving, excessive speeding, aggressive driving, and poor vehicle maintenance. These behaviors contribute to three primary accident causes: distracted driving, loss of vehicle control, and reduced vehicle safety. Collectively, these factors account for 60 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities.
CHANGING BEHAVIOR THROUGH INCENTIVES
Our research revealed that frequent, engaging interactions with drivers paired with meaningful rewards are far more effective than appeals to safety alone. The result was Vitality Drive, the world’s first incentive-based driving program designed to make better drivers. By combining education, engagement, and aspiration, we have achieved remarkable outcomes.
Proof of impact includes:
- A 15 percent improvement in average driving behavior within one month.
- A 17 percent increase in average driver performance scores over five months.
- Safer driving habits can earn fleets up to a 20 percent savings on fleet insurance premiums.
- Drivers earn a Safety Status quarterly based on their individual driving habits. Our program is designed to help drivers progress from Bronze to Platinum, representing a collision risk reduction of up to 50 percent.
A BETTER WAY TO REWARD PERFORMANCE
Fleets need a holistic safety program, one that accurately tracks collision risks, keeps drivers engaged, rewards progress at every level and integrates seamlessly into daily operations.
At Geotab Connect in February, Vitality announced our joint venture with Geotab to tackle a shared mission to improve driver safety and well-being, reduce risk and support better road safety, bringing together telematics data with behavioral science, in a first-of-its-kind solution. Through the joint venture, Geotab and Vitality will redefine commercial fleet management leveraging a behavior change solution that rewards safer driving.
The industry’s current driver behavior monitoring and coaching focuses on identifying the highest risk drivers, penalization, and compliance style training that often creates friction around driver adoption and has seen mixed results. Why? The driver and their individual needs are often neglected. Our model instead celebrates drivers and utilizes nudges (behavioral science) to help drivers to make small improvements that last and become habitual.
Geotab Vitality uses behavioral science, incentivization, and data-driven insights to make better driving second nature. Drivers get clear goals, real-time feedback and rewards that feel earned. Fleets get safer drivers, lower risk, lower costs, and a program that stays on track with minimal effort.
This innovative program combines proven driver improvement programmes with Geotab’s real-time driving data and advanced risk analytics model, enabling customers to accurately assess and mitigate risk across their fleets. By incentivizing safer driving behaviors, businesses can significantly reduce accident rates, enhance driver satisfaction, and lower overall operational costs.
The program focuses on proven methods to reduce collisions, informed by 25 years experience, with five million connected vehicle subscriptions. Geotab Vitality is ‘out of the box’ – meaning fleet managers do not have to be data scientists, actuaries, or coaches anymore. Instead, they can now focus on what they do best, managing the daily complexities of fleet operations.
Beyond improving safety, companies can differentiate themselves by prioritizing employee well-being and sustainability, making it a strategic advantage in an increasingly competitive market.
about the author
Francois Theron is Deputy CEO of Discovery Insure and has worked for the Discovery Group for over 20 years. He was Chief Operating Officer for Discovery Insure and Discovery Health, covering over 4 million lives, and worked on Discovery’s global ventures, Vitality, in the UK and US. He helped establish Discovery Insure as South Africa’s fastest growing short-term insurer and leads the international expansion of Vitality Drive. Francois has an M.Comm in Business Management and is passionate about shared-value insurance.
