Driving Behavior

Driving behavior is the way a driver uses their vehicle. It shows in speed, acceleration, braking, cornering, engine speed and idling. Measured by telematics, it sheds light on safety, fuel consumption and wear, within a framework set by France's data protection authority, the CNIL.

Which indicators does telematics track?

A telematics device or a connected vehicle reports driving events. Each one tells you about a specific risk or cost.

Indicator	What is measured	Why it matters
Speed	Speed recorded on the trip, against the thresholds you set	Excessive or inappropriate speed is the leading cause of fatal accidents, according to ONISR, France's road safety observatory.
Harsh acceleration	Overly sharp starts and accelerations	In town, aggressive driving uses up to 20% more fuel, according to ADEME, France's ecological transition agency.
Harsh braking	Strong, sudden deceleration	It points to a lack of anticipation and wears brake pads and tires.
Cornering	Lateral acceleration in bends	Taking a bend too fast risks loss of control and unsettles the load.
Engine speed	Time spent at high revs	Over-revving can use up to 20% more fuel, according to ADEME.
Idle time	Engine on, vehicle stationary	ADEME advises switching the engine off rather than letting it idle for more than 10 seconds.

This data often feeds a driver scorecard. A score is only worth something if the way it is calculated is explained to drivers.

Why track driving behavior?

Tracking driving behavior is not about watching people. It is a management lever that acts on four areas at once.

• Safety: correcting dangerous habits reduces exposure to accidents. A phone call, for example, triples the risk of an accident causing damage or injury.
• Fuel: smooth driving uses less. That is the principle of eco-driving.
• Maintenance: less harsh braking and over-revving means less wear on brakes, tires and mechanical parts.
• Fairness: objective data helps you recognize good drivers and support the others based on facts.

What does the CNIL allow for employee data?

For the CNIL, driving style is personal data as soon as it can be linked to a person. Its guidance on the geolocation of employees' vehicles (in French) sets the framework to follow.

• Excluded uses: checking compliance with speed limits, or monitoring an employee permanently. Tracking employee representatives while they carry out their mandate is also excluded, as is tracking employees who are free to organize their own travel.
• Outside working time: no data collection during breaks or on the commute between home and work. Employees must be able to switch off location tracking.
• Information: every employee is informed before the system is introduced. Employee representatives are informed or consulted.
• Retention: two months as a rule. The period rises to one year to optimize routes or to prove that work was carried out, when there is no other way to do so. It reaches five years for tracking working time.

Among its reference texts, the CNIL cites Articles L. 1121-1 and L. 1222-4 of the French Labor Code (Code du travail). Before you use a speed indicator, have its purpose approved by your data protection officer (DPO). Our telematics and GDPR guide details the process.

How do you turn data into driver support?

Data changes nothing if it just sits in a table. Its value comes from the conversation with the driver.

1. Explain: present the indicators you track, their purpose and the thresholds you have chosen.
2. Look at trends: a one-off event says little, a repeated one says a lot.
3. Talk one-to-one: start from the facts and look for the causes, such as a schedule that is too tight.
4. Train: offer targeted training when a gap persists.
5. Recognize: acknowledge progress, not just mistakes.

This approach is at the heart of driver coaching.

How Dadycar helps

Dadycar is a French fleet management software. With the Fleet + Telematics plan, trips are collected from compatible connected vehicles without a box, or through an optional telematics box. Driver performance management and anomalies and alerts flag the deviations you choose to track, and geofencing by site and time slot helps you stick to the defined periods of use.

The data is hosted in France, by OVHcloud, as detailed on our trust and security page. The plans are presented on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Can you discipline an employee based on their driving data?

Only if the system is compliant: a legitimate purpose, the employee informed beforehand, employee representatives consulted. The CNIL rules out using geolocation to check compliance with speed limits. Have your policy reviewed by your legal counsel.

How long should driving data be kept?

For geolocation, the CNIL sets retention at two months as a rule. The period rises to one year to optimize routes or to prove that work was carried out. It reaches five years for tracking working time.

Can employees switch off location tracking?

Yes, outside working time. The employer can, however, check the number or length of deactivations, according to the CNIL. It can ask for explanations and penalize abuse.