A recent survey conducted by Atomik Research found 68% of fleet drivers feel totally comfortable with telematics systems in their company vehicles, suggesting “Big Brother” concerns are on the decline as fleet GPS tracking systems become more common.

The survey polled 2,o32 UK employees whose job includes driving. Although the majority are comfortable having a tracking system installed, a meager 17% replied their company fleet vehicle is tracked and just 11% of drivers who use their personal vehicle for work are tracked–72% said neither vehicle had a telematics device installed.

Of the 32% of respondents who aren’t comfortable being tracked, 51% cited privacy concerns, 18% were unclear on the benefits of telematics, and 14% expressed concern about how the data is used.

Martin Hiscox, CEO and chairman of Masternaut, a UK telematics company, believes the focus needs to be less on the tracking and more on the benefits telematics systems offer, saying: ‘In the past, UK drivers have shown a measured response to vehicle tracking technologies, which is now largely over both from a consumer and business perspective. But we mustn’t be apathetic – the concept of telematics being purely a vehicle tracking technology is outdated and we need to continue talking more about the safety and efficiency benefits instead.”