In the Driver's Seat | July 2009

In this Issue

• New Webinar: FMCSA-Sponsored Webinar Supports Benefits of DriveCam
• The ‘Ripken Way’ of Safety
• San Francisco Selects DriveCam to Save Money, Lives
• The Core of the Matter
• Internal GPS is Now Standard
• Mark Your Calendar: DriveCam 2009 Academy Schedule
• New Out-of-Warranty Repair Center Now Available

• New Webinar: FMCSA-Sponsored Webinar Supports Benefits of DriveCam

  Are you still considering whether DriveCam is right for your business? Not sure how to unravel the facts from fiction concerning the program? Want to hear the results of a non-biased third-party evaluation?

  Now you can!

  With the assistance of two large national commercial carriers – one long-haul operation and one local/short haul operation – Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, with the support of the FMCSA, recently completed a lengthy evaluation of DriveCam. In this 60-minute webinar, you’ll hear, first-hand, how the study was developed, significant issues concerning DriveCam and the findings from the study*.

  Webinar: Evaluating the Safety Benefits of a Low Cost Driver Behavior Management System
  Date: July 22, 2009

  Time: 12:00 PM Eastern

  Click here to register.

  About Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

  The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) is Virginia Tech's largest university-level research center and is dedicated to conducting research to save lives, save time and save money in the transportation field by developing and using state-of-the-art tools, techniques and technologies to solve transportation challenges. Its cutting-edge research is effecting significant change in public policies in the transportation domain on both the state and national levels.

  In 1996, the Institute was designated as one of three Federal Highway Administration/Federal Transit Administration Intelligent Transportation Systems (FHWA/FTA ITS) Research Centers of Excellence. Since then, VTTI has grown tremendously and has garnered a reputation as one of the leading transportation research institutions in the nation. Its cutting-edge research is effecting significant change in public policies in the transportation domain on both the state and national levels.

  About FMCSA

  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. Its primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.

  FMCSA is headquartered in Washington, DC where it employs more than 1,000 individuals, in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, dedicated to improving bus and truck safety and saving lives.

  *The results demonstrate that DriveCam significantly reduced the mean rate of safety-related events per 10,000 miles traveled.

• The ‘Ripken Way’ of Safety

  “Safety is a commitment … but it is much more than that. It is a moral issue and an important character trait.” – Steve Keppler, director of policy and programs, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

  It’s not every day that you see parallels drawn between safety in the trucking industry and the personal work ethics of baseball players – and not just any players, mind you, but one of the greatest of all time: Cal Ripken Jr.

  It may seem a stretch to make this comparison, but Steve Keppler, director of policy and programs for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) did just that in a recent speech before the Arizona Trucking Association this year – and whether you agree with his particular brand of analysis or not, it still makes for interesting reading, I think.

  Click here to read the rest of the article by Sean Kilcarr, Senior Editor, FleetOwner.

  Full Story »

• San Francisco Selects DriveCam to Save Money, Lives

  Joining a growing list of transit agencies across the country to install DriveCam in their vehicles is the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA).

  “Officials hope to use the data as a training tool for problem drivers,” said Nathaniel Ford, chief of the Municipal Transportation Agency. “Bus drivers would also be able to manually activate the system when fights or other problem occur.”

  Additionally, videos could be used to verify or refute legal claims connected to Muni-related collisions. With the highest claims loss history of any transit agency in the country over the last four years, SFMTA has budgeted about $20 million in the upcoming fiscal year to pay out such claims.

  SFMTA used the video system during a 90-day pilot program on five buses last year. Now, it is expanding DriveCam to the entire fleet.

• The Core of the Matter

  As an industry, Driver Risk Management has taken many forms. Like many industries, it continually evolves to meet the needs of its user community and takes advantage of the opportunities that technology presents.

  After 11 years, DriveCam is still learning. We understand our clients’ need to maximize ROI, which is why we are continually improving our formula for success. In its initial form, DriveCam was a simple crash recorder. But, over the past 11 years – and through our work with 110,000 vehicles and 13 million risky driving events – we’ve evolved to an easily implemented program that provides a 30-80% reduction in claims costs associated with risky driving.

  The key to our success – and our clients – is the core formula that nearly 50,000 clients are using today:

  · Cell-based Event Recorder with GPS

  · DriveCam Online

  · The DriveCam Program

  Why?

  Because clients who use this formula maximize their ROI at the highest range. How does it work?

  Cellular-based event recorders enable upload of events – anywhere, anytime. There’s no longer a need to return to a home base to upload your events for review. In addition, cellular is much easier to install than WiFi since it eliminates the need for on-site equipment or IT assistance. The best part? Cellular technology enables additional value through real-time GPS.

  Like cellular-based event recorders, DriveCam Online allows anywhere, anytime access to your events and reports from a PC/browser. And, ongoing technology updates eliminate the need for IT resources necessary with a software solution.

  Capitalizing on these two technologies and providing the foundation for our clients is The DriveCam Program. Many DIY clients have moved to this managed service because of the benefits it offers:

  · Professional trained video review that’s accurate, consistent and objective

  · Visible benchmarking and trending that ensures company-wide compliance and performance

  · Proactive health checks that maximize operating performance

  · Best practice consulting and cross-industry benchmarking

  · Clip analysis and management so you can focus on you business, not on your drivers

  · Monthly, quarterly and annual program/ROI reviews, which provide consistent knowledge and visibility throughout your company

  There’s no better time than now to make the switch. Join the thousands of companies who are already realizing a 50% ROI by letting DriveCam run their program – effectively and cost efficiently.

• Internal GPS is Now Standard

  Effective immediately, NEW DriveCam event recorders now include internal (built-in) GPS. With built-in GPS, DriveCam clients with new event recorders will be able to track speed, location and heading for all risky driving events.

  The use of a separate GPS module, known as the “GPS puck,” and associated peripherals, such as the 6-port HUB, are no longer required (hub may be required if additional peripherals are purchased).

  For questions, please contact DriveCam client support at myacctmgr@drivecam.com or 866.949.2296.

• Mark Your Calendar: DriveCam 2009 Academy Schedule

  There are only two more Academies scheduled this year!

  • September 24, 2009 Boston, MA
  • December 4, 2009 San Diego, CA

  Presented by DriveCam’s leading safety expert, Del Lisk, the DriveCam Academy is a one-day session dedicated to presenting and sharing advanced techniques for optimizing your use of the DriveCam program. The course is ideal for clients currently using the program but looking for ideas on how to maximize results. This is also an excellent environment for those considering a DriveCam deployment but seeking guidance on how to put it all together. The 2009 fee for attendance is $295 per individual.

  Come to this session to learn:

  • The essential steps for success with the DriveCam program
  • How to monitor program effectiveness
  • How to analyze complex videos
  • Surefire tips to maximize effective driver coaching
  • Key functionality that may not have been available when you deployed your DriveCam program
  • And much, much more

  Space is limited. For information, or to enroll in one of the sessions, please call 866-419-5861 and ask for Del Lisk or e-mail your request to dlisk@drivecam.com.

• New Out-of-Warranty Repair Center Now Available

  To help clients manage older event recorders, DriveCam has a new repair service for out-of-warranty DC2 event recorders.

  Effective June 8, clients can have DC2 event recorders repaired through an authorized 3^rd party repair center, Central Computers. All transactions and communications are made directly with Central Computers and do not involve DriveCam. Clients can see an overview of Central Computers’ Terms & Conditions on the web site or contact the number below to speak to a representative.

  Central Computers Inc.
  3777 Stevens Creek Blvd
  Santa Clara, CA 95051
  http://www.centralcomputers.com/corp/DriveCam.html
  408-248-5888 x 1102 (DriveCam Help Desk)
  www.centralcomputers.com

  If you have any questions/concerns, please contact DriveCam Technical Support at 866.614.3149.