SmartDrive Sets Industry Milestone for Recording Risky Driving Events: More than 28 Million... and Counting

SAN DIEGO, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartDrive Systems, a leader in fleet safety and operational efficiency, today announced it has topped the 28 million mark in the number of risky driving events captured by its innovative, in-vehicle SmartRecorder™, used by professional fleets and corporations to improve driver performance, reduce accident claims and save lives.  

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Risky driving includes fundamental driving errors – everything from failure to yield and incomplete stop at a stop sign, to unsafe lane changing and following at an unsafe distance. It also encompasses distracted or inattentive driving such as driving while talking on a mobile phone, texting, smoking or driver fatigue. The more than 28 million recorded video events in the SmartDrive Risky Driving Databank represent real-world observations that allow SmartDrive to link fundamental driving errors with contributing factors.

SmartDrive uses state-of-the-art recording technology to capture the industry's most comprehensive data set for each event. When triggered by speeding, erratic maneuvers, or driver activation, the SmartRecorder saves 30 seconds of video and audio, as well as GPS location, speed, and other accelerometer and vehicle computer data no other solution captures this breadth of data for each event. This multi-dimensional information allows the company to identify the root cause of incidents. Whereas accelerometer data can detect hard braking or sudden swerves, it cannot pinpoint why the events happened – only a comprehensive solution which incorporates video, audio and other input can reveal the full event picture.

"With more than 28 million incidents captured, and over 230,000 hours of video, SmartDrive has amassed the world's largest and fastest-growing database of risky driving events. These are actual, on-the-road incidents, recorded as they happened," according to Jason Palmer, SmartDrive Chief Product Officer.

Expanding by 1.5 million events per month, the Risky Driving Databank is growing at 2.5 times the rate of any other database of risky driving events, and is well on pace to surpass the 40 million events mark this year. With the largest, most comprehensive database, SmartDrive is able to provide greater insight into risky driving behavior and more relevant analysis than any driver risk management company, Palmer noted.

The Risky Driving Databank also forms the basis of the SmartDrive Distracted Driving Index, a quarterly report summarizing the data gathered in the prior three months in the SmartDrive Safety program. The Index provides the transportation industry with a valuable benchmark of commercial driving distraction rates. The most recent Index, covering the first three months of 2010, revealed that new drivers were distracted nearly 11% of the time, by activities such as using a mobile phone, smoking, and eating.

The data in the Distracted Driving Index point to ways that fleets can reduce driving errors, and thereby reduce collisions and claims. For example, SmartDrive has shown that by simply focusing on the top 5% of drivers who text while driving, the incidence of texting in the vehicle can be reduced 67%, helping to eliminate fundamental driving errors, such as incomplete stops at stop signs.

"Our data-rich events archive is an invaluable tool for the transportation industry. Using this database as the foundation, we can work with fleets to identify trends in risky driving and design training programs to manage them, thus improving driver performance, reducing the number of collisions, and increasing operating efficiency," he added.

Across the entire customer base, the SmartDrive Safety system has been proven to reduce risky driving by 60% in its first year of use, and 72% in the second year.  This translates into fewer collisions and decreased liability, physical damage and workers' compensation claims.  

About SmartDrive Systems

SmartDrive delivers innovative solutions that make it easy for fleet managers to improve driver safety and reduce operating cost. SmartDrive records comprehensive video-based data from the road, then thoroughly reviews and scores critical events, recommending action for fleet managers to quickly respond and deliver sustainable savings – all through an easy-to-use managed service. The company's Risky Driving Databank, growing at 2.5 times the rate of any other driver risk management database, has compiled the world's largest storehouse – nearly 30 million events – of real-time, risky driving incidents. SmartDrive Systems is based in San Diego, and employs approximately 300 people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.smartdrive.net.

SOURCE SmartDrive Systems