Bachelor’s Thesis: Utilizing Telematics for Proactive Risk Management in Professional Driving

Telematics is a significant tool for improving traffic safety and efficiency, as well as for anticipating risks in the professional transport sector. Through telematics, it is possible to monitor and analyze, in real-time, for example, drivers’ driving behavior or locations. In this way, telematics facilitates the early detection of risks, making it easier to avoid accidents and malfunctions.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate the different utilization possibilities of telematics in risk management within professional transportation. In addition, the thesis outlines the development of risk management in professional transport, from traditional risk management to proactive risk management. The thesis also explores what kinds of proactive risk management methods, other than telematics, are applied in professional transportation.

Data collection through thematic interviews

The empirical part of the thesis is qualitative in nature. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured thematic interviews. For the purposes of this thesis, six different experts were interviewed: two represented insurance companies, three represented transport operators, and one represented a telematics provider. The material obtained from the interviews was analyzed using theory-driven content analysis.

Telematics carries significant potential for the future

The results of the thesis indicate that telematics has had an impact on the development of risk management in professional transport. However, this development has taken place over a long period, as telematics has been in use for some time already. For this reason, risk management appears to have remained similar in recent years. The results nevertheless show that, although the content of risk management has remained much the same, the importance of risk management in professional transport has increased in recent years due to growing requirements for responsibility and reporting.

The findings also show that telematics is seen within professional transportation as the most important tool for proactive risk management. Telematics enables better prevention of accidents and more advanced traffic safety. According to the results, telematics carries significant potential for the future, even extending to the automation of professional transport vehicles.

Explore the thesis “Utilizing Telematics for Proactive Risk Management in Professional Driving” (in Finnish) at Trepo, the open institutional repository of Tampere University (in Finnish).

Text and photo (AI generated) by Katariina Saarela.