SAN DIEGO, CA – DriveCam Inc., a driver risk management (DRM) company, is supporting June 2006 as National Safety Month by highlighting risky driving behaviors that can lead to collisions. By identifying those driving behaviors that are more likely to result in accidents, DriveCam strives to heighten awareness and improve safety for commercial drivers and the communities they work in.
According to the National Safety Council, which established National Safety Month in 1996, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental death and injury both on and off the job. Of the more than 110,000 accidental deaths in 2004, 46,200 Americans died in motor vehicle collisions and another 2.4 million were seriously injured. Motor vehicle crashes accounted for 2,086 of the 5,000 workers killed on the job. Studies show that risky driving behaviors are the cause of most accidents.
Commercial fleets using the DriveCam Driver Risk Management Solution have captured thousands of video event recordings showing unusual or risky driving behavior. DriveCam’s certified driver behavior analysts review incidents of risky driving behavior captured on exception-based video event recorders in the vehicle and deliver daily feedback to fleet managers. This enables those fleet managers to provide ongoing coaching, improve driving behavior, and mitigate risk. From their analysis, DriveCam experts have identified and documented seven common risky driving activities:
· Following too close, or tailgating. · Poor awareness approaching intersections. · Distracted driving. · Not looking far enough ahead. · Speeding/driving too fast for conditions. · Driver fatigue. · Risky lane change/passing. At the core of DriveCam’s solution is DriveCam’s palm-sized, dual-lens, exception-based video event recorder. Mounted on the windshield behind the rearview mirror, it records what drivers see and hear 10 seconds immediately before, during, and after a risky driving event. G-forces such as hard braking, sudden acceleration, or collision, cause the recorder to save the 10 seconds immediately before and after the triggered event. Saved events are downloaded, analyzed, and assigned a risk score to coach drivers and improve driving behavior and assess liability in collisions.