More than 5,600 fatalities involving heavy trucks occurred in 2021 with 52% of large truck occupant deaths occurring in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A 2020 NHTSA study also found that 28% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Drivewyze, which provides safety technology solutions for fleets, offers safety alerts via ELD, telematics devices, tablets and smartphones that have been proven to mitigate rollover- and speed-related accidents, among others. Drivewyze previously provided these alerts as part of a bundle with its paid services, but the company has wanted to offer it at no cost as a standalone service to any and every commercial driver “to try and do our part to improve highway safety,” said Drivewyze CEO Brian Heath.
The company recently rolled out Drivewyze Free – the standalone free version that provides alerts and advisories based on data derived from Drivewyze and its partners, which include state departments of transportation, over 125 telematics providers and industry partners one.network, HAAS and INRIX.
Martin Murtland, Drivewyze vice president of product, said these alerts have shown to have a positive impact on driver behavior.
When a driver receives a sudden slowdown alert, he said Drivewyze data shows that 70% of drivers slow down an average of 11 miles per hour, and there has been a 10% to 16% reduction in hard braking events as a result. Others provided are the low bridge alert, which Murtland said has eliminated bridge strikes for Drivewyze users, and the high rollover alert. The data shows that Drivewyze high rollover alerts have resulted in reduced speed by an average of 7.3 miles per hour for those going more than 5 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
“I remember I was at a conference sitting beside a law enforcement officer from Omaha who said there’s this really bad corner that, every time there's rain or the wind picks up, there's inevitably a roll over crash at that area, but never once has there been (one involving) a Drivewyze truck,” Murtland said. “So really what we want is every truck to have that zero incident on a rollover event.”
Heath said the company strives to have Drivewyze Free widely adopted by drivers and fleets of all sizes, adding that he knows it can reach millions.
“Our mission is zero crashes, zero fatalities,” he said. “We want to reach every truck driver and every fleet out there … so that folks can get access to these essential alerts and advisories, and then we can move the needle on highway safety.”
These alerts and advisories come from two pools of information: Drivewyze sponsored data and state agency sponsored data.
Drivewyze sponsored data includes heads-up warnings for high-rollover risk areas, low bridges, mountain alerts (steep grade ahead; chain-up/brake check stations; and runaway ramps) and rest area information that includes truck parking availability.
State agencies that participate in the Drivewyze Smart Roadways program sponsor exclusive alerts along specific traffic corridors. Participating DOTs include New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Delaware, Connecticut, Ohio, Texas, Arkansas and Virginia. In addition, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Colorado State Police and Wyoming Highway Patrol are participating. Additional transportation agencies will be added in the future.
Depending on the agency, alerts can include sudden slowdown, in which drivers receive real-time alerts when approaching areas with stationary traffic; unexpected slowdown, in which drivers receive real-time alerts when approaching areas with heavier than expected traffic; active work zones and lane closures; service vehicles; virtual signs, in which state DOTs can create messaging for truck drivers on upcoming road closures, detours, reminders to wear seatbelts, etc.; and emergency alerts.
“The important thing is we can impact driver behavior. If you can give a driver heads up to an upcoming potentially risky area, then that driver has time to react or to prepare,” Heath said. “There's a high correlation between hard braking events and crashes, so if you can give the driver time to react, then then there's going to be a reduction in speed, there's going to be a reduction in hard braking events and that corollary impact on a reduced crash rate.”
Drivewyze Free also includes access to the Drivewyze Hub, a dashboard for fleet managers to gather visibility on the effectiveness of the alerts that are being provided to their drivers, as well as insights and on-demand reports regarding other parts of their operations. Heath said additional features and alerts will be added on a regular basis. Drivers and fleets can enroll for the free service on the Drivewyze website.
