ReportWire

Tag: Road safety

  • Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assist system gets closer look as US seeks details on recent changes

    Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assist system gets closer look as US seeks details on recent changes

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    DETROIT — U.S. automobile safety regulators are zeroing in on changes that Tesla has made to its Autopilot partially automated driving system, including how it makes sure drivers pay attention and how it detects and responds to objects.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked for details of changes made to all versions of the system including dates and detailed descriptions, according to a post on its site Thursday.

    The request is part of a larger investigation into why Teslas operating on Autopilot have struck emergency vehicles that are stopped along highways while they are responding to other incidents. It covers all versions of automated driving system including “Full Self-Driving,” which is being tested on public roads by Tesla owners.

    The agency has been investigating crashes involving Teslas using the system since August of 2021. Investigators have sent teams to probe more than 30 crashes since 2016 that have caused at least 14 deaths.

    In a letter dated July 3 and posted on the agency’s website Thursday, NHTSA asks Tesla to describe all changes to the systems in the “design, material composition, manufacture, quality control, supply, function, or installation of the subject system, from the start of production to date.”

    Tesla must respond to the request by July 19, or it could face civil penalties, the letter states. It asks the electric vehicle maker to update a previous response dated Sept. 19 of last year.

    A message was left early Thursday seeking comment from Tesla. The company says on its website that neither Autopilot nor “Full Self-Driving” can drive themselves and that drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

    The letter also asks for which Tesla vehicles had cameras installed in the cabin to monitor drivers, and whether the system uses “Tesla Vision” which relies only on cameras to view the road and does not use radar.

    NHTSA’s request includes changes that Tesla made as part of a February recall of “Full Self-Driving” software. NHTSA pressured Tesla into recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with the software because the system can break traffic laws. The problem was to be fixed with an online software update.

    NHTSA said in recall documents that the system can make unsafe actions such as traveling straight through an intersection from a turn-only lane, going through a yellow traffic light without proper caution or failing to respond to speed limit changes.

    The documents said that Tesla does not agree with the agency’s analysis of the problem. The company was to fix the problems with an online software update.

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he expects to have fully autonomous vehicles this year, a pledge he has made for several years. “The trend is very clearly toward full self-driving,” Musk said in April. “And I hesitate to say this, but I think we’ll do it this year.”

    The system is being tested on public roads by as many as 400,000 Tesla owners.

    NHTSA also has opened investigations during the past three years into Teslas braking suddenly for no reason, suspension problems and other issues.

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  • US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks and buses

    US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks and buses

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The government will require heavy trucks and buses to include automatic emergency braking equipment within five years, the federal traffic safety agency said Thursday, estimating it will prevent nearly 20,000 crashes and save at least 155 lives a year.

    The announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration follows a similar move last month for all new passenger cars and light trucks. The actions represent the traffic safety agency’s latest efforts to regulate electronic systems that take on certain tasks that drivers themselves have normally handled. NHTSA has been reluctant in the past to impose such regulations, saying the technology would change during the time it took to enact new rules.

    Ann Carlson, the safety agency’s chief counsel, said Thursday that automatic emergency braking systems will reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes, as well as rollovers and accidents involving loss of driver control.

    “Advanced driver assistance systems like AEB have the power to save lives,” she said at a news conference. The new requirement “is an important step forward in improving safety on our nation’s roadways by reducing — and ultimately eliminating — preventable tragedies that harm Americans.″

    The proposed rule applies to new trucks and buses weighing at least 10,000 pounds and is expected to become final next year. The heaviest trucks — those over 26,000 pounds — will be required to install the braking system three years after the rule becomes final, while vehicles weighing between 10,000 and 26,000 pounds will have until 2028.

    AEB systems use forward-facing cameras and sensor technologies to detect when a crash is imminent. The system automatically applies the brakes if the driver has not done so, or, if needed, applies additional braking force to supplement the driver’s actions. The proposed standard would require the technology to work at speeds ranging from 6 to 50 miles per hour.

    The American Trucking Associations, the industry’s largest lobbying group, welcomed the announcement.

    “The trucking industry supports the use of proven safety technology like automatic emergency braking,” said Dan Horvath, the group’s vice president of safety policy. “With NHTSA’s recent regulation requiring AEB on all new passenger vehicles, this proposal for heavy duty trucks is timely and appropriate.″

    According to NHTSA statistics, there are about 60,000 rear-end crashes a year in which a heavy truck or bus is the striking vehicle. Once implemented, NHTSA estimates the proposed rule will prevent more than 19,000 crashes, save 155 lives and prevent nearly 9,000 injuries annually.

    The agency says the rule on new passengers vehicles and light trucks will dramatically reduce rear-end crashes, saving at least 360 lives per year. It also is projected to cut injuries by at least 24,000 annually and reduce property damage.

    The Transportation Department, which includes NHTSA, called the proposal an important step in the broader goal of reducing roadway deaths. The number of people killed on U.S. roads declined slightly last year, to 42,795, but still represents a national crisis, the agency said.

    Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an alliance of consumer, public health, law enforcement and safety groups, hailed the new rule.

    “Equipping all trucks with AEB, including those driving around our neighborhoods, where children are playing or biking to school … is essential to saving lives,″ said Cathy Chase, the group’s president.

    The announcements on automatic emergency brakes follow a provision in the 2021 infrastructure law requiring automatic braking in all vehicles, passenger and commercial.

    As of December, a total of 15 automakers had included the technology standard on most or all new models. General Motors said automatic emergency braking will be standard on nearly all its vehicles by the end of the model year.

    Automatic braking systems are not flawless. NHTSA has opened three investigations into systems from Tesla, Honda and Freightliner that activated the brakes for no apparent reason.

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  • US probes crash involving Tesla that hit student leaving bus

    US probes crash involving Tesla that hit student leaving bus

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    DETROIT — U.S. road safety regulators have sent a team to investigate a crash involving a Tesla that may have been operating on a partially automated driving system when it struck a student who had just exited a school bus.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Friday that it will probe the March 15 crash in Halifax County, North Carolina, that injured a 17-year-old student. The State Highway Patrol said the driver of the 2022 Tesla Model Y, a 51-year-old male, failed to stop for the bus, which was displaying all of its activated warning devices.

    Sending special investigation teams to crashes means that the agency suspects the Teslas were operating systems that can handle some aspects of driving, including Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving.” Despite the names, Tesla says these are driver-assist systems and that drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

    A message was left Friday seeking comment from Tesla.

    Tillman Mitchell, a student at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School in Hollister, had just exited the bus and was walking across the street to his house when he was hit, according to the Highway Patrol.

    He was flown to a hospital with life-threatening injuries but was listed in good condition two days after the crash.

    Messages left with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol were not immediately returned Friday. A spokesperson for WakeMed hospital in Raleigh did not immediately provide an update on the student’s condition or indicate whether he had been discharged.

    NHTSA has sent investigative teams to more than 30 crashes since 2016 in which Teslas suspected of operating on Autopilot or “Full Self-Driving” have struck pedestrians, motorcyclists, semi trailers and parked emergency vehicles. At least 14 people were killed in the crashes.

    In March the agency sent a team to a Feb. 18 crash in which a Tesla Model S hit a fire department ladder truck in Contra Costa County, California. The Tesla driver was killed, a passenger was seriously hurt, and four firefighters suffered minor injuries.

    Authorities said the California firetruck had its lights on and was parked diagonally on a highway to protect responders to an earlier accident that did not result in injuries.

    The probes are part of a larger investigation by NHTSA into multiple instances of Teslas using Autopilot crashing into parked emergency vehicles that are tending to other crashes. NHTSA has become more aggressive in pursuing safety problems with Teslas in the past year, announcing multiple recalls and investigations.

    NHTSA is investigating how the Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways.

    The agency wouldn’t comment on open investigations, but it has been scrutinizing Teslas more intensely in the past year, seeking several recalls.

    Tesla and NHTSA need to determine why the vehicles don’t seem to see flashing lights on school buses and emergency vehicles and make sure the problem is fixed, said Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety in Washington.

    “I’ve been saying probably for a couple of years now, they need to figure out why these vehicles aren’t recognizing flashing lights for a big starter,” Brooks said. “NHTSA needs to step in and get them to do a recall because that’s a serious safety issue.”

    Earlier this month the agency revealed an investigation of steering wheels that can detach from the steering column on as many as 120,000 Model Y SUVs. It’s also investigating seat belts that may not be anchored securely in some Teslas.

    NHTSA also has opened investigations during the past three years into Teslas braking suddenly for no reason, suspension problems and other issues.

    In February, NHTSA pressured Tesla into recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with “Full Self-Driving” software because the system can break traffic laws. The problem was to be fixed with an online software update.

    The system is being tested on public roads by as many as 400,000 Tesla owners. But NHTSA said in documents that it can make unsafe actions such as traveling straight through an intersection from a turn-only lane, going through a yellow traffic light without proper caution or failing to respond to speed limit changes.

    The U.S. Justice Department also has asked Tesla for documents from Tesla about “Full Self-Driving” and Autopilot.

    ____

    Associated Press Writer Hannah Schoenbaum in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this story.

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  • Tesla driver killed after plowing into firetruck on freeway

    Tesla driver killed after plowing into firetruck on freeway

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    WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — A Tesla driver was killed and a passenger was critically injured Saturday when the car plowed into a fire truck that was parked on a Northern California freeway to shield a crew clearing another accident, fire officials said.

    Four firefighters who were in the truck when it was struck on Interstate 680 were treated for minor injuries, said Tracie Dutter, assistant chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

    The driver was declared dead at the scene, Dutter said. The car needed to be cut open to remove the passenger, who was taken to the hospital.

    Photos showed the front end of the car was crushed and the $1.4 million ladder truck was damaged.

    California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Lane said it was not clear whether the driver may have been intoxicated or whether the Tesla Model S was operating with automation or driving assistance features.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways. At least 14 Teslas have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the system.

    Dutter said the truck had its lights on and was parked diagonally on northbound lanes of the freeway to protect responders to an earlier accident that did not result in injuries.

    The fatal accident occurred around 4 a.m., and it took several hours to clear the freeway. The firetruck had to be towed away.

    The Model S was among the nearly 363,000 vehicles Tesla recalled on Thursday because of potential flaws in its “Full Self-Driving” system. While the recall is aimed at correcting possible problems at intersections and with speed limits, it comes amid a broader investigation by U.S. safety regulators into Tesla’s automated driving systems.

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  • Tesla driver killed after plowing into firetruck on freeway

    Tesla driver killed after plowing into firetruck on freeway

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    WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — A Tesla driver was killed and a passenger was critically injured Saturday when the car plowed into a fire truck that was parked on a Northern California freeway to shield a crew clearing another accident, fire officials said.

    Four firefighters who were in the truck when it was struck on Interstate 680 were treated for minor injuries, said Tracie Dutter, assistant chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

    The driver was declared dead at the scene, Dutter said. The car needed to be cut open to remove the passenger, who was taken to the hospital.

    Photos showed the front end of the car was crushed and the $1.4 million ladder truck was damaged.

    California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Lane said it was not clear whether the driver may have been intoxicated or whether the Tesla Model S was operating with automation or driving assistance features.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways. At least 14 Teslas have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the system.

    Dutter said the truck had its lights on and was parked diagonally on northbound lanes of the freeway to protect responders to an earlier accident that did not result in injuries.

    The fatal accident occurred around 4 a.m., and it took several hours to clear the freeway. The firetruck had to be towed away.

    The Model S was among the nearly 363,000 vehicles Tesla recalled on Thursday because of potential flaws in its “Full Self-Driving” system. While the recall is aimed at correcting possible problems at intersections and with speed limits, it comes amid a broader investigation by U.S. safety regulators into Tesla’s automated driving systems.

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  • NASCAR holds 2nd driver safety meeting, vows more

    NASCAR holds 2nd driver safety meeting, vows more

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    LAS VEGAS — NASCAR held a second consecutive meeting with its Cup drivers to discuss their safety concerns with the new Next Gen car and promised to continue the sessions for the remaining month of the season.

    Saturday’s meeting at Las Vegas Motor Speedway lasted 75 minutes, the same length as last week’s contentious session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR had a lengthy slide presentation for the drivers since the one at Charlotte was halted when the meeting deteriorated into an emotional confrontation between drivers and NASCAR leadership.

    Several drivers last week likened the Charlotte meeting to an episode of “Seinfeld” as it became “an airing of grievances.” The Las Vegas meeting was much calmer and NASCAR was able to complete presentation, which was expanded to include information from questions raised by the drivers at Charlotte.

    Although the Las Vegas meeting was optional, NASCAR said it was well-attended despite “some notables” who were not present. The Associated Press confirmed that Kevin Harvick, one of the most outspoken drivers about the Next Gen, was present for the Las Vegas meeting.

    “I’m still standing,” a smiling Brad Keselowski said as he exited the meeting room Saturday.

    Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman both suffered concussions in what should have been routine crashes. Both drivers were injured when the rear of their car hit the wall.

    Because the Next Gen was built to be durable, drivers have complained the rear is way too stiff and the drivers are absorbing far too much energy from impacts. Bowman has missed two races already and said he’ll be out at least the next three, while Busch said Saturday after missing 13 consecutive races he will be stepping away from full time racing.

    NASCAR thinks it has a fix for the rigidness of the rear of the Next Gen, with changes possible by the start of next season.

    Corey LaJoie, who has sided with NASCAR in its development of the Next Gen, said NASCAR told the drivers at Charlotte that design changes it tested “takes about 50% of the G-load away on a rear impact.”

    “You can always say we should have done it faster,” LaJoie said on his podcast “Stacking Pennies.”

    “But this stuff takes time. It’s not like NASCAR is just sitting on its hands, waiting for another guy to get hurt. Nobody is at more of a risk or detriments to seeing their competitors hurt than NASCAR is. When we were designing this car, safety was above and beyond every other checkpoint.”

    There are four races remaining this season with the Next Gen — including Sunday at Las Vegas to open the third round of the playoffs.

    ———

    More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Flagger Force Leads Traffic Control Industry in Work Zone Safety

    Flagger Force Leads Traffic Control Industry in Work Zone Safety

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    Industry-leading traffic control company educates communities to ‘Stay Alert. Stay Alive.’ in work zones during National Work Zone Awareness Week.

    Press Release
    –

    Apr 11, 2022


    HUMMELSTOWN, Pa., April 11, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Flagger Force, an industry-leading short-term traffic control company, is proud to lead the industry in work zone safety during National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) April 11-15, 2022, and all year round. 

    Safety does not happen naturally—it takes a consistent effort to ensure workers and community members moving through work zones arrive home safely each day. To lead the industry in safety and instill the company’s Safety-Driven® culture, Flagger Force developed internal training programs that meet state and federal requirements for flagging safety. Their program has several advantages over traditional safety training, including: 

    • Requirements to complete safety training prior to their first day in a work zone and before being promoted. 
    • Opportunities to share stories, ideas, and best practices to enhance the curriculum. 

    “NWZAW is a critical time to educate traffic control professionals and the public about best practices when navigating a work zone,” said Luke Lazar, VP of risk and safety at Flagger Force. “During the warmer months, the number of work zones will increase, and motorists will need to know how to safely move through patterns of signs, barrels, and lane changes. As a leader in safety, it is our responsibility to educate individuals and ensure they arrive home safely each day.” 

    NWZAW will be held Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 15, 2022. Founded by the Virginia DOT, this celebration takes place across the U.S., with partnerships between state departments of transportation, road safety organizations, government agencies, and private companies. 

    “Being Safety-Driven®, we take pride in participating in NWZAW and spreading awareness for work zone safety across the country,” said Mike Doner, president and CEO at Flagger Force. 

    About Flagger Force 

    Flagger Force Traffic Control Services® is an industry leader in traffic control. The company was founded in 2002 by entrepreneurs with a handful of employees; one pickup truck; and the equipment needed to control traffic. Today, Flagger Force establishes safe work zones with a fleet of over 1,100 vehicles and 1,700 full-time employees. Their safety standards are embraced by industry stakeholders and allow them to continuously expand their geographic reach throughout the eastern U.S. Flagger Force has the resources and expertise to help support the nation’s infrastructure, utilities, and other service industries. For more information, visit FlaggerForce.com.

    Media Contact: Kaylee Weigle 717.440.4273; kweigle@creategrit.com 

    ###

    Source: Flagger Force

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  • High Sierra Electronics Expands Suite of Road Weather Information Systems for Driver Safety

    High Sierra Electronics Expands Suite of Road Weather Information Systems for Driver Safety

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Jun 16, 2021


    GRASS VALLEY, Calif., June 16, 2021 (Newswire.com)
    –
    High Sierra Electronics, Inc., a leading manufacturer of environmental monitoring systems for the protection of lives and property, today announced the release of its new StormLink® RWIS Lite range of road weather solutions. The StormLink RWIS Lite Icy Road Warning System and StormLink RWIS Lite High Water Detection System provide economical options for local cities and municipalities to enhance motorist safety by installing warning systems that notify travelers of dangerous road weather conditions.

    The StormLink RWIS Lite Icy Road Warning System alerts drivers about hazardous conditions created by winter weather in real time. Sensors measuring road temperature, and other atmospheric conditions such as air temperature, and relative humidity determine if icy road conditions exist and automatically activate flashing beacon warning stations on the road. Agency personnel access a centralized dashboard to view system data and set up real-time alerts via Contrail® software. The flashing beacon signs warn drivers in advance of icy conditions so they can be prepared and take necessary precautions such as adjusting speed or finding alternate routes.  

    The StormLink RWIS Lite High Water Detection System (HWDS) warns drivers of flooding events on roadways. Real-time sensors track water levels at the low point of the road and send alerts through Contrail to agency personnel and warning stations when water levels breach a custom set threshold. The flashing beacon warning stations will turn on, providing drivers with ample lead time of the flooding event to avoid dangerous situations.

    These StormLink RWIS Lite solutions provide cost-efficient and scalable products for road weather sensing and warning. Wireless communications and solar-powered systems make StormLink RWIS Lite easy to install, even on existing signs. Each package includes a control station, two warning stations for either side of the roadway, and Contrail data management services. StormLink RWIS Lite products fit into the complete network of StormLink products, enabling a packaged safety solution for smaller cities and municipalities.

    “Weather can impact roads very quickly,” said Brett Hansen, Road Weather Product Manager, High Sierra Electronics. “Measuring road conditions along with alerting drivers on the road is important to keeping both large and small communities safe from severe weather. We are excited to play a larger part in improving weather safety in areas where it is needed the most.” 

    The addition of the StormLink RWIS Lite product line expands an already robust and full-featured road weather product line that includes sensor stations and driver warning systems. The StormLink RWIS Pro and StormLink RWIS One systems provide additional safety features for larger geographic areas or more complex road weather situations such as high winds and low visibility. High Sierra Electronics also offers integrated camera subsystems and machine learning object detection allowing for visual confirmation and 24/7 alerting.

    High Sierra Electronics, part of the Advanced Environmental Monitoring family of innovators, has been designing and manufacturing environmental monitoring systems for almost 30 years. High Sierra Electronics’ systems help identify threats posed by the weather, which include flooding, dangerous road conditions, and vulnerable dams and levees. Contrail® and StormLink® are registered trademarks of OneRain Incorporated in the United States and used with permission. For more information, visit www.hsierra.com or phone 800-275-2080.

    Source: High Sierra Electronics, Inc.

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  • BlackboxMyCar Announces Healthcare Hero $10K Giveaway for 8th-Anniversary Celebration

    BlackboxMyCar Announces Healthcare Hero $10K Giveaway for 8th-Anniversary Celebration

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    BlackboxMyCar has partnered with Thinkware North America to give away $10,000 worth of Thinkware dashboard cameras to 50 healthcare heroes and frontline workers across Canada and the U.S.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: May 1, 2020


    RICHMOND, British Columbia, April 30, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​​​​​As part of its eighth-anniversary celebration, BlackboxMyCar, the largest dashboard camera distributor in North America, has partnered with Thinkware North America to host the Healthcare Hero $10K Giveaway. The giveaway will run from April 29, 2020, to May 15, 2020, and recipients will be announced between May 16 and June 1, 2020.

    During this giveaway, 50 healthcare professionals and frontline workers across Canada and the U.S. will receive a free Thinkware FA200 dashboard camera, complete with a genuine Thinkware microSD card and Thinkware Hardwiring Kit. Each dashboard camera package has a retail value of $200 USD, and the total value of the giveaway is $10,000 USD. To enter the giveaway, individuals can nominate themselves or a frontline worker here: https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/10Kgiveaway.

    While the world is collectively dealing with the ever-increasing levels of stress and anxiety, healthcare professionals and frontline workers are facing unprecedented challenges and risks each day as they care for those who are hospitalized with the COVID-19 virus. Many of them are working longer hours, leaving their cars parked and unattended. For them, car protection and road safety are more important than ever before.

    BlackboxMyCar CEO Alex Jang says, “We have been closely monitoring the news during these times of uncertainty and working hard to map out a way to most effectively help where we can.”

    Jang continues, “To maximize our opportunity to help, we decided to partner up with Thinkware to host the Healthcare Hero $10K Giveaway. The giveaway is BlackboxMyCar’s way of saying ‘thank you’ to all frontline workers. Let us take care of them while they take care of us.”​

    The Healthcare Hero $10K Giveaway is open to all frontline workers, including doctors, nurses, EMS/paramedics, nursing home caregivers, pharmacists, hospital staff, police and CBP/CBSA agents.

    The giveaway is made possible through a partnership with Thinkware North America. Join in and share the support throughout the month of May and June by tagging your dashboard camera footage and pictures with the hashtags @BlackboxMyCar & #MyCarLife. ​

    About BlackboxMyCar:

    BlackboxMyCar is North America’s largest dashboard camera retailer and has been in operations since 2012. As the leading authority on dashboard cameras in North America, BlackboxMyCar not only supplies high-quality dashboard cameras to the community but also provides extensive, in-depth knowledge on dashboard cameras technology and offers peace of mind for drivers everywhere.

    Our brand is based around being a trusted source for information on dashboard cameras for our customers, partners, and the media. We aim to protect our community so that every driver will feel safe on the road, believing that a dashboard camera as a silent witness to provide video evidence will ultimately create a safer community around us. ​

    Media Contact:
    Joseph Choi, Marketing Manager
    +1 (888) 978 6560 ext. 560
    joseph@blackboxmycar.com​

    Source: BlackboxMyCar

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  • FleetWatch Systems Partners With LifeSaver to Launch Its Newest Fleet Safety Program to Target Distracted Driving

    FleetWatch Systems Partners With LifeSaver to Launch Its Newest Fleet Safety Program to Target Distracted Driving

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Mar 12, 2018


    SAN JOSE, Calif. & VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​​FleetWatch Systems and LifeSaver today announced a new initiative to combat distracted driving among commercial drivers who, with disproportionately long hours on the road and high mileages, are at particular risk of involvement in serious accidents. 2017 saw a significant 7.2 percent increase in U.S. traffic accidents, bringing the number of resulting deaths to more than 35,000. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration experts estimate that one in 10 traffic fatalities are caused by distracted driving. FleetWatch Systems and LifeSaver, leaders in fleet road safety, are tackling the issue of distracted driving head-on with the launch of Cell Restrict, which allows fleet managers to monitor cell phone use and ensure that their companies’ driving safety policies are being properly followed.

    “Making or receiving cell phone calls can take any driver’s attention off the road with sometimes tragic results,” said FleetWatch principal Darryl Tolentino. “No less than 38 percent of calls made to our 1-800 HowsMyDriving.com call center are reporting commercial drivers who are distracted by their phones, so we know this is a real problem.”

    Last year’s terrifying collision statistics serve as an overdue wake-up call and our corporate and fleet customers have been desperately looking for enhanced safety measures. Cell Restrict now offers them an efficient yet cost-effective means of monitoring their drivers’ safety and cutting the risk of distracted driving accidents.

    Darryl Tolentino, FleetWatch Principal

    Building on LifeSaver’s proven success in changing driver behavior, Cell Restrict extends LifeSaver’s distracted driving solution to FleetWatch’s extensive customer base, ensuring a significant positive impact on overall road safety.

    Tolentino continued, “Last year’s terrifying collision statistics serve as an overdue wake-up call and our corporate and fleet customers have been desperately looking for enhanced safety measures. Cell Restrict now offers them an efficient yet cost-effective means of monitoring their drivers’ safety and cutting the risk of distracted driving accidents.”

    LifeSaver co-founder Ted Chen also expects to see positive results from Cell Restrict’s launch. “Given FleetWatch’s leadership in fleet safety and risk management for almost 30 years, our partnership provides a great opportunity to solve the distracted driving problem for a significant number of commercial drivers throughout North America.”

    More information about Cell Restrict is available at www.cellrestrict.com or 1-800-515-9902.

    About FleetWatch Systems

    Creator of the original and industry-leading 1-800 How’s My Driving program, FleetWatch Systems offers a comprehensive portfolio of fleet safety risk management programs which are used by thousands of companies in both the United States and Canada to improve driver behavior, reduce risk and mitigate vicarious liability exposure. FleetWatch Systems is a privately held corporation based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and New York. For more information, visit http://www.cellrestrict.com.

    About LifeSaver

    LifeSaver is the top-rated mobile app solution for distracted driving, combined with B2B subscription services for enterprise reporting. We provide fleet operators and auto insurers with the tools they need to reduce collisions caused by cell phone-related distracted driving, an epidemic responsible for more than 25 percent of U.S. auto collisions and annual insurance claims in excess of $30 billion. LifeSaver’s patented solution has been validated by over 20 million miles of driving. Most importantly, the LifeSaver platform is changing the culture of distracted driving. LifeSaver is privately held and based in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit http://www.lifesaver-app.com/fleet.

    MEDIA CONTACTS:

    Rob Maynard Public Relations
    FLEETWATCH Systems Inc.
    ​info@cellrestrict.com

    or
    ​
    ​John Snedigar ​
    ​Faultline Communications for LifeSaver
    ​john@faultlinecomms.com

    Source: LifeSaver

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