Over the last few years there has been increased interest in vehicle tracking and telematics for organisations that run vehicles.

It began in commercial vehicles as a means of calculating more effective utilisation of vans and trucks, but with more sophisticated equipment it has become possible to monitor much more than routes and position.

As well as recording fuel consumption the equipment can also detect harsh manoeuvres (acceleration, braking and steering).

This might well seem intrusive, but your company car is one of your employer’s most costly assets. As it is providing your car and paying for your fuel it may be reasonable that they want to keep track of its movements. Resisting its adoption is unlikely to succeed.

However, most of these systems have a mode for private mileage, so you won’t be tracked out of work hours, and in many cases the systems can work in the driver’s favour.

If an organisation benchmarks fuel consumption and driving behaviour of employees, giving each one a risk profile, it can target driver training more effectively. It means the lower risk drivers receiving less frequent and less intensive assessments.

The technology it also able to record vital information about a vehicle while it is being driven. It can retain data on what a car was doing in the moments leading up to an accident, and pinpoint its position, ensuring other parties are unable to apportion blame incorrectly.

When companies install telematics equipment to monitor fuel consumption or driving behaviour, they often add a competitive element with rewards for the best performing drivers each month. The cost of the fuel saved or savings in cash or downtime through reduced repairs outweighs any prize that is awarded to the successful employee.

As vehicles and fuel continue to rise in cost, it is more likely that employers will explore all ways of monitoring major expenses more effectively and consider vehicle tracking.