Lockdown has had a positive effect on vehicle crime and road-related incidents mainly due to the 74% decline in vehicle usage and the heightened visibility of police.
As expected, according to statistics from MiX Telematics, the restriction on public movement and alcohol consumption has resulted in certain types of crime reducing but it has also resulted in other types of crime increasing.
Unemployment, food shortages and crime-syndicates adjusting their activities all have an impact on ongoing crime.
Insights from MiX data show that vehicle theft and hijacking incidents are down by 76% during the lockdown. There has also been a 70% decline in alerts on the Matrix tracking platform for vehicles entering high-risk zones, border alerts and GeoLock alerts.
Trip data from Matrix motorists show that 53% are now driving distances less than 5km during the lockdown with the number of motorists driving further than 20km halved during the lockdown.
Gauteng has seen the highest compliance with the lockdown when trip data is considered, at a reduction in trips by 65%, followed by the Western Cape (61%) and the Free State (56%).
Data from commercial vehicles being monitored has shown a significant decline in truck accidents with a 66% reduction and also in panic alerts by truck drivers with a 52% reduction. Other driving event alerts like entering no-go border zones, dashboard tampering and disconnected power have also declined.
“Overall, MiX is monitoring almost 600 000 vehicles in South Africa, of which 250 000 are commercial vehicles; 48 000 of our Fleet Customer base are also subscribed to the MiX Track and React Bureau service, our gold standard service which provides 24/7 eyes-on-screen monitoring,” says Gert Pretorius, MD of MiX Telematics Africa.
“Our customers require stringent vehicle asset management over this time where efficiencies and timely delivery are even more critical.”
MiX has seen a large number of clients delivering fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and other essential products and services during the lockdown.
Pretorious adds that the supply chain and trucking industry which has risen to the challenge forced on it by the lockdown.