“As telematics become increasingly standard, companies could be found liable for not integrating it into their fleets because the technology does exist, it is available and is also widely used,”

A global survey recently conducted by LeasePlan revealed that the use of telematics leads to increased driver safety, fewer accident claims and a considerable reduction in fuel consumption. The survey, which involved 3,377 drivers in 20 countries worldwide, concluded that driver behavior can be positively impacted by telematics.

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By Wendy Eichenbaum

The next time you are considering how to redesign a product or service, watch your customers as they interact with it. You’ll transition quickly from identifying the problem to designing a solution.

Last fall, I spent two days at a regional operations center for a large transportation company. I was working with a team that was redesigning a fleet management device. We ran brief Pain Point Interviews with many of the truckers in order to understand what worked well and what hurdles they faced with their current devices.

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Nancy Collamer, Forbes

Like most people, I find it increasingly difficult to focus at work these days. The endless flow of e-mail, text messages and social media plays havoc with my productivity more often than I care to admit.

And I’m one of the lucky ones. As a self-employed home-based worker, I don’t have to deal with the disruptions of a more conventional workplace: office gossip, annoying co-workers and endless meetings, to name a few.

The truth is, distractions and productivity obstacles lurk everywhere in our 24/7 wired world. They can seriously disrupt your job performance and make your workdays longer. On top of that, the added stress isn’t good for you. A new study published in the British medical journal the Lancet found the more hours people work, the higher their risk of stroke.

Read more of the original article on Forbes.com.

The Washington Post

Have you ever sat pointlessly at a red light? There’s no cross-traffic, but the traffic light is clueless, so you’re forced to wait.
Miovision chief executive Kurtis McBride feels your pain.

“I can’t count the number of times I’ve been sitting at a red light with no cars around me and just wondering, ‘Why am I stuck in this situation,’ ” McBride said.

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MoneyTalksNews

Men are behind 80 percent of drunken-driving episodes, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Young men, ages 21-34, are involved in 32 percent of all such episodes.

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The Detroit Bureau

With the kids heading back to school, you may be thinking about putting some of your older ones on wheels. But what are the best cars for a teen driver?

Coming up with the right model can be a challenge, but there are some important factors to keep in mind, safety first and foremost. So, while your teen might have a BMW M3, Ford Mustang or Volkswagen Golf R high on their list, you’re likely to look for something a bit more practical.

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The Car Connection

The auto world has been thinking a lot about hacking lately. For years, it wasn’t much of a concern, but now that many new cars are connected to telematics networks like Uconnect and OnStar and to cellular networks via dongles attached to their onboard diagnostics ports, our rides are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

As proof, consider recent stories about Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche), BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. We have a feeling that this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

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The Detroit Bureau

New vehicle sales have been scorching hot this year, and they’re having an impact on the used car market making the available inventory younger and pricier. Used car sales are up 5.1% for the second quarter of 2015.

Used car prices hit an all-time high in the second quarter, averaging $18,800, for a 7.6% increase on a year-over-year basis, according to Edmunds.com. Not only are they more expensive, the average age of a used car dropped from 4.9 years to 4.5 years.

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Your brand value and how people experience it are moving to be one in the same. This eclipse is fueled by changing expectations and technologically savvy people using social media to quickly express to many others their opinion between what your brand or reputation means and what it actually delivers.

By Jeofrey Bean

It was just two years ago that, for the first time in 13 consecutive years, the answer to the question of which company has the most valuable global brand was not Coca-Cola. It was Apple, according to Interbrand, independent experts in measuring and tracking brand value. Apple’s brand value had increased 28% in the prior 12 months making it one of the top risers in brand value.

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SambaSafety recently announced that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has selected SambaSafety to assist in the development the state’s Driver Record Monitoring Service (DRMS) pilot program.

Scheduled to start the Fall of 2015, this pilot program is intended to enhance public and highway safety by allowing employers and insurance support organizations to monitor employees’ driving records to identify and address any unsafe driving behavior.

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