Almost twice as many UK businesses are using telematics to keep tabs on how their company vehicles are being used, compared to last year.

Close to two-thirds (65 per cent) of the 500 UK businesses surveyed by the RAC in May said they now use telematics devices - including black box and smartphone apps - in their vehicles.

This marked a significant uplift on the 38 per cent from when the survey was last conducted in September 2015.

Looking at individual sectors, business services reported the highest uptake in those nine months (70 per cent), followed by retail and construction (67 and 66 per cent respectively).

The corporate sector had more than doubled its usage too, skyrocketing from 29 per cent to 67 per cent.

Proven benefits of introducing telematics include lower fuel costs, fewer accidents, and a reduction in maintenance costs.

Nick Walker, MD of RAC Telematics, believes that telematics’ Big Brother image is now in the past.

“It’s no longer about just keeping tabs on staff or vehicles, it’s much more about managing the vehicle as an asset,” he commented.