The new service provides alerts when a Drivewyze-enabled truck approaches a high-rollover area, and alerts drivers to upcoming low bridges. An audible tone, as well as visual alert, provides the warning.
The new service is active nationwide and is being rolled out through the Drivewyze ELD reseller partner network that include ISAAC Systems, Omnitracs, Orbcomm, Platform Science, Switchboard, Transflo and Trimble.
“These are two great safety features we’ve integrated into Drivewyze’s Safety Notifications service, and it’s just the start – we will have more safety notifications to come,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of Drivewyze.
According to a 2017 FMCSA report, more than 14,000 truck rollover crashes lead to 170 fatalities. The rollover alerts are on targeted exit ramps and curves, geo-fenced at 500 locations in 32 states. Drivers get a “heads up” notification about 1,000 feet before a dangerous curve.
“We worked closely with our state partners to identify the areas that had higher incidences of rollovers, so our alerts offer an early warning to drivers to check their speed,” Heath continues.
According to Heath, this is an example of the private sector working with state agencies to improve safety on the roadways. The rollover alerts were tested in a pilot program with several large Drivewyze customers. “What we found was that when the alerts were used, there was a measurable slowdown in the risk area, and a 17% reduction in speeding incidents around those same curves,” he said.
Internal studies by Drivewyze have shown that trucks going 5 mph over the posted speed limit around curves are twice as likely to be in a preventable road accident as a driver going the speed limit.
For the low bridge warnings, Drivewyze identified 1,500 strike-prone bridges along routes that are commonly used by truckers, and geo-fenced them for alerts. The latest data (2014) from the Department of Transportation showed more than 4,200 bridge strikes in that year.
“Repairs to trailers average around $10,000 – not including cargo damage – and the owner of the vehicle is on the hook for any bridge repair, which can be well over $100,000, plus penalties/fines up to $11,000 by the DOT,” Heath said.
Like with the rollover notification alert, an audible and visual notification is provided by Drivewyze when the truck approaches a low clearance bridge that is geo-fenced in Drivewyze’s system.
