Speed Limiter vs Telematics: Which System Offers More Value for Fleet Managers
So, you’re a fleet manager that’s looking for an effective solution to managing your fleet of vehicles for your business. You’re aware of two types of systems that fleet managers most commonly use: a fleet speed limiter and a commercial vehicle tracking system. But you’re unsure of which system will be most effective to manage a fleet and reduce overhead or maintenance costs. In this article, we’ll be exploring the features and benefits of both speed management technology and commercial vehicle tracking systems for a fleet manager.
What are Speed Limiters?
Speed Limiters or Automatic Speed Control Systems are electronic devices that are installed into a commercial vehicle to restrict the top speed by setting a pre-determined speed limit, using various methods, such as: GPS technology, engine control, or electronic throttles, to regulate the vehicle’s speed. They allow fleet managers to have control over how fast a vehicle can travel and can be tailored to the requirements of a particular road or driving environment.
Fleet Speed Limiters can provide many benefits to your business, such as reducing the fuel usage and lowering CO2 emissions by controlling an engines RPM. It also ensures that vehicles stay within the legal speed limit regulations defined by traffic control, helping fleet managers and drivers avoid costly fines and penalties associated with speeding violations. According to UK Government statistics, 45% of light commercial vehicles exceeded the speed limit on 30mph roads, with 47% exceeding the speed limit on motorways. This can also be attributed to improving road safety, as fleet speed limiters can reduce the risk of an accident caused by speeding. As claimed by the European Transport Safety Council, if speed limiters were to be made mandatory, it would reduce collusions overall by 30%.
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of a speed limiter, please click here.
What is a Telematic System?
A Telematic or Commercial Vehicle Tracking System is simply a GPS tracker that collects and transmits real-time data about vehicle locations, speeds, movements, and driver behaviour to a centralised platform for analysis and action. Some systems offer real-time fleet monitoring, allowing you to monitor your fleet’s current locations and track their routes historically, whilst also providing detailed reports and analytics that help you to understand and optimise your fleet’s performance.
These fleet telematic systems can help to reduce expenses, such as fuel usage and driver’s travel expenses, as you are able to manage and analyse the routes that they take, which also helps to optimise drivers and driving behaviour. In addition, some systems may also include anti-theft features, such as theft monitoring that can aid in the recovery of a vehicle quickly and efficiently in the event of theft.
Research shows that around 19% of businesses operating vehicles are currently using the data from telematics, with a further 44% considering to adopt this fleet management method within the next 3 years. Click here to find out more about this.
Which System is More Effective?
This question, of course, varies on the goals that your business wants to reach with its fleet. A Fleet Speed Limiter will enforce fleet safety compliance by restricting a vehicle’s speed in certain environments and enhance driver behaviour whilst improving road safety. But a telematics system can provide comprehensive data and insights that allow for management of safety and operations for an entire fleet, providing a far greater return on investments and more control over the fleet than a speed limiter alone.
However, if you or your business is interested in acquiring a fleet speed management system, to help enhance driver behaviour and improve fleet safety, visit our product page or click here to contact us.
Author: Kirsten Williams / Article Writer
Publication Date: 13/11/2025