Why Telematics Becomes National Infrastructure

Why Telematics Is Becoming National Data Infrastructure – Lessons from Europe

For decades, governments treated vehicle data as an internal matter for manufacturers and fleet operators. That assumption is breaking down. In 2025, telematics is no longer just a business tool—it is increasingly recognized as national data infrastructure, supporting traffic management, public safety, emergency response, and transport governance.

Europe offers a practical preview of what happens when governments treat automotive data as a public asset rather than a private byproduct. Germany, in particular, shows how a national telematics data layer can generate measurable benefits—without owning vehicles or building hardware itself.

For ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, this model is highly relevant.

1. What “National Automotive Data Infrastructure” Actually Means

A national automotive data layer does not mean governments directly collecting raw data from every vehicle. Instead, it means:

  • defining standards for vehicle data access
  • enabling secure, anonymized aggregation of telematics data
  • integrating vehicle-level signals into national traffic and safety systems
  • allowing certified private platforms to contribute data via APIs

In practice, this data layer sits between vehicles and public systems, translating millions of vehicle signals into operational intelligence for transport authorities.

Europe did not start with cybersecurity. It started with safety and efficiency.

2. Germany: A Real-World Example of Telematics as Public Infrastructure

Germany operates one of the most advanced traffic data ecosystems in Europe, combining vehicle telematics, road sensors, and cloud analytics.

A. eCall: Accident Detection at National Scale

Since 2018, all new passenger cars sold in the EU must support eCall, an automatic emergency-call system triggered by severe crashes.
European Commission – eCall overview:
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/road-safety/ecall_en

When airbags deploy or impact thresholds are exceeded, vehicles automatically transmit:

  • precise location
  • time of accident
  • vehicle type

Impact:

  • Emergency response time reduced by up to 50% in rural areas and 40% in urban areas (EU Commission data).
  • Faster dispatch improves survival rates and reduces secondary accidents.

This is a clear example of telematics data operating as life-saving national infrastructure.

B. National Traffic Data Platform (NDW-style Model)

Germany integrates vehicle-derived data into federal and state traffic management systems, similar to the NDW (National Data Warehouse for Traffic Information) model used in the Netherlands.
NDW reference (Netherlands):
https://www.ndw.nu/

These platforms aggregate:

  • floating car data (FCD)
  • speed and braking patterns
  • congestion indicators
  • incident signals

Results observed in Germany and neighboring EU countries:

  • earlier detection of traffic congestion compared to camera-only systems
  • dynamic speed control on highways
  • real-time route recommendations for logistics and emergency vehicles

Telematics enables traffic systems to predict congestion, not just react to it.

C. Managing Commercial and Service Vehicles

Germany’s logistics sector heavily relies on telematics-integrated fleet management. According to the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), data-driven traffic control improves freight efficiency and reduces urban congestion.
BMDV policy reference:
https://bmdv.bund.de/

By combining telematics data from trucks, buses, and service vehicles, authorities can:

  • manage delivery time windows
  • enforce low-emission zones
  • coordinate road maintenance with real traffic usage
  • reduce idle time and unnecessary rerouting
    This directly benefits public infrastructure without direct vehicle ownership.
D. Supporting Accident Investigation and Law Enforcement

Telematics data is increasingly used as supplementary evidence in accident investigations:

  • speed before impact
  • braking behavior
  • vehicle fault codes
  • time-sequenced driving patterns

In Germany, Event Data Recorders (EDR) are mandatory in new vehicles under EU regulation since 2022.
EU EDR regulation:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/2144/oj

For police and investigators, this data improves:

  • accuracy of accident reconstruction
  • accountability
  • insurance dispute resolution

This reduces legal ambiguity and speeds up investigations.

3. Why ASEAN Lacks These Benefits—For Now

ASEAN countries face a different reality:

  • vehicles are older and more diverse
  • OEM-installed TCU penetration is uneven
  • traffic systems rely heavily on cameras and manual reporting
  • telematics data is fragmented across private operators

Vietnam, for example, mandates GPS for commercial vehicles under Decree 20/2020, but the system mainly captures location and speed.

What is largely missing:

  • OBD-II data (engine, braking, fault codes)
  • behavior-based signals
  • impact and anomaly detection
  • predictive congestion indicators

Yet the vehicles already support this data. OBD-II has been standardized globally since 1996.
EPA OBD reference: https://www.epa.gov/obd/onboard-diagnostics-obd

The gap is not technical. It is architectural and policy-driven.

4. What ASEAN Governments Could Gain from a National Telematics Data Layer

Based on European experience, the benefits are concrete:

• Smarter traffic management: Early congestion detection through aggregated braking and speed anomalies.
• Faster accident response: Automatic alerts reduce response time and secondary incidents.
• Better oversight of commercial fleets: Public buses, trucks, and taxis can be managed proactively, not reactively.
• Stronger evidence for investigations: Telematics data complements cameras and witness statements.
• More efficient infrastructure planning: Road usage data informs maintenance and expansion decisions.

None of this requires governments to manufacture hardware.

5. From Devices to Platforms: The Strategic Shift

The key lesson from Europe is simple:

Governments should not focus on mandating devices. They should focus on building data platforms.

That means:

  • standardizing vehicle data schemas
  • certifying telematics providers
  • defining data-sharing rules
  • integrating telematics into traffic control centers

Countries that do this early gain long-term transport intelligence.

6. Why this matters for companies like x18

This shift favors platforms that:

  • work across mixed vehicle fleets
  • support both OEM TCU and OBD-based data
  • process large volumes of vehicle signals
  • expose clean APIs for government systems

x18’s vehicle-centric approach – via OBDx and ForeFix – aligns with how national telematics layers are built in Europe: incremental, interoperable, and data-driven.

Conclusion

Europe’s experience shows that telematics becomes national infrastructure not through slogans, but through practical use cases: fewer deaths, less congestion, faster response, and better governance.

ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, already have the vehicles, the standards, and the connectivity. What remains is a strategic decision: to treat vehicle data as infrastructure, not exhaust.

The countries that make that decision early will define the next generation of transport systems.

By x18 Editorial