Mercedes-Benz Vans will provide fleet operators with free driver behaviour monitoring for three years, on all new Vito Tourer and Sprinter models.

The Mercedes PRO Connect service is included on all vehicles produced from May 2019, and can be retrofitted to any existing new Sprinter.

“With more than 4.2 million vans on the UK’s roads, it is essential that van drivers operate their vehicles in a safe, efficient, and compliant manner”, commented Mark Cartwright, head of Vans and Light Commercial Vehicles at FTA.

“The drive style monitoring solution will provide businesses with the toolkit they need to analyse driver behaviour and identify areas where improvement is needed. After all, safe driver behaviour plays a key role in keeping the UK’s roads secure and operations running smoothly and effectively. And by offering the solution free-of-charge, it shows how dedicated the team at Mercedes-Benz Vans are to safety, efficiency and innovation; where they lead, we hope others will follow.”

Research conducted by the manufacturer found that fleets are increasingly using software to monitor driving standards. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of fleet and SME customers surveyed, claimed that they want to use telematics or connected vehicle technology for this purpose.

Mercedes PRO Connect enables a multitude of vehicle data for each individual trip and a holistic fleet view of the whole fleet of vehicles to be interrogated by vehicle managers. These data points include: acceleration behaviour analysis, anticipatory driving behaviour, coasting and smooth driving analysis. In addition, safety critical data, such as harsh cornering and braking warnings, are shown instantly to the fleet manager.

Analysis of driving behaviour data can identify trends which can be addressed in order to maximise safe driving practices. Fleet managers can ascertain the safest depots, regions or individual drivers, using the Mercedes PRO connect driver’s app.

It’s also possible for drivers to maximise the longevity of certain wear-and-tear components, such as brake pads and discs if these parameters are known to them and vehicle managers put in measures to improve safe driving performance. This approach can also have positive benefits in terms of fleet uptime – when combined with other features of Mercedes PRO connect, such as live service indicator information and the monitoring of safety relevant parts, like brake fluid.

Steve Bridge, managing director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, said: “We are extremely proud of our connectivity solution and have therefore decided to include at no cost to our customers. Keeping their businesses moving is our priority, and with our new drive style monitoring solution software included as standard, company owners and vehicle managers can spend less time worrying about the vans and drivers, and more time therefore focused on their business and customers.”