Analyzing the Telematics Technology

Telematics Technology It can be described as the use of wireless devices and the term we know as "black box" to transmit data to any organization. There are several uses of this technology: organizations can learn all the information about automobiles, their vehicle use, maintenance requirements or servicing. With the help of GPS technology installed in the black box of these automobiles, telematics can be used to obtain information regarding air bag deployment, accidents and vehicle theft and thus, vehicles can be located.

This technology can also serve as the platform for all sorts of insurance for all sorts of modes of transport (fleet, company cars etc.) (Handel et al., 2014; Gartner, n.d.) How it Works It is, in short, a way of obtaining almost all functional information a certain vehicle.

With the help of the black box, which is barely the size of a smartphone, and the GPS technology installed in it, we can know the vehicle's current location, speed, distance travelled, the way the driver is driving (braking or cornering etc.), and the types of road the driver usually drives on and also, the internal behaviour of the car.

With the help of 3G, the vehicle and its control unit can also transmit and receive messages (Gartner, n.d.) With the help of this information, a website can be accessed in order to monitor the driver's performance, this way a driver can know if he drives well or if there are changes required. This information is also helpful for insurance company. At present, this technology is used in commercial vehicles such as fleet to reduce cost of operation.

How to Install Telematics System to a Vehicle: There happen to be two fundamental methods of inserting a telematics system into a vehicle: Firstly, a telematics module may be plugged in the OBD or "On-Board Diagnostics" port. Secondly, Telematics system can also be hardwired in the automobile and from here it can acquire data from "controller area network" (CAN) bus. Applications in Law Enforcement The law enforcement has started testing telematics system in patrol vehicle and other law enforcement automobiles (for example Telogis by Ford).

This initiative can prove to be a money saver, as also a lifesaver, as it can prevent the patrolling officers from getting into any accident. It is a money saver and helps to cut operational costs because through the telematics, fleet managers will know that a vehicle is about to malfunction before the issue even starts, thus it saves fuel. (Griffith, 2016) Apart from saving the fuel, which might not seem as big deal, given the current prices of gasoline, it helps obtain vital information remotely.

Moreover, it also gives a reminder regarding maintenance of vehicle, such as oil change etc. It pre-alerts the fleet driver if the vehicle is about to malfunction, a sign which drivers often ignore. (Griffith, 2016) With the advancement in this technology, it will be safe to say that this technology will protect the lives of officers and civilians by ensuring safe driving by officers and in pursuing cases.