The ability to collect driving data through smartphone technology can be a game changer for fleets and independents alike.

The cost of crashes to U.S. fleets topped $47 billion in 2013, $8.4 billion of which was a result of distracted driving, according to the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS).

While telematics has traditionally been used for monitoring vehicle location and travel duration, recent advances have made it much more accessible, and it promises to be critical to the future of fleet management – especially in terms of monitoring and improving driver performance.