[Focus On Safety] A Fly On The Windshield

Last summer, a technician with Clark Pest Control, based in Lodi, Calif., decided to purchase a TV during work hours. He drove 20 miles outside of his route to the appliance store, bought the TV and strapped it to his spray rig. On his way back, a car pulled out in front of him, causing him to swerve. That sent the TV tumbling off the truck and onto the ground. As you might guess, the technician lost more than his new TV that day. He also lost his job.

Terry Clark, vice president of Clark Pest Control, might never have known about the TV incident had it not been for the DriveCam Video System he had recently installed in the vehicle. The palm-sized video recorder taped the 30 seconds before, during and after the event via a tiny camera attached to the front windshield. The device was automatically triggered to start recording when the driver swerved.

The DriveCam system helps managers monitor erratic driving by continuously recording video, audio and four directions of G-forces in a digital looping memory. It automatically saves the recording when triggered by G-forces caused by such things as hard braking, rapid acceleration, harsh cornering or collisions. Each recorded incident includes information on the level of G-forces on the vehicle and the time and date of the event. A red flashing light on the device alerts managers that one or more events have been recorded. At Clark, these events are downloaded and viewed weekly.

Information stored on DriveCam is managed with HindSight 20/20, the companion software package. The Windows-based program allows users to manage DriveCam recordings and evaluate individual driving performance.

THE BENEFITS. Clark says he’s pleased with the DriveCam System, which he calls a "a crash course in courteous driving." He tested the system last spring, along with other types of electronic data collection systems, hoping to improve safety, increasing route productivity and decreasing vehicle costs. "The DriveCam gives us information about the high G-force events that we were truly worried about," he said. "It helps us to identify high-risk drivers and change the way they drive."

Ed Andrew, president of DriveCam, says the system is ultimately a technology-based driver training and safety program. "We capture real-life driving situations which are played back to the driver," he said. "The driver gets unbiased and objective feedback about their driving habits. Almost all drivers improve immediately."

According to Andrew, DriveCam customers experience a 30 to 50 percent (and even greater) reduction in collisions. "They also report a reduction in maintenance costs, improved fuel economy, and better community image, all a result of improved driving habits," he said.

The system’s cost-saving benefits are also recognized by insurance companies. Many now endorse and recommend the system as an effective loss control product, and some also offer premium discounts for fleets that use it. Andrew notes that Drive-Cam-protected fleets have anywhere from 30 to 90 percent fewer claims, and the recordings provide valuable evidence in the event of any accident. He said the recordings have even uncovered attempted fraud and staged accidents.

TECHNICIANS’ REACTIONS. For drivers, there is a bit of a learning curve with DriveCam, Clark said. "When it is first installed, it is set off regularly by technicians," he said. "They learn that every time they set it off, they have to talk with a supervisor." Soon, he notes, employees change their driving habits. "They learn to treat your truck as if they were driving their mother in the passenger seat while going to church on Sunday."

Contrary to his initial concerns, however, Clark says his technicians actually feel a sense of relief with the DriveCam in their vehicles. "If something happens they won’t ever be doubted about their version of the event," he said. "It is on the video so there is no question about who is at fault."

So far, Clark has purchased 150 DriveCam Systems for use in his fleet of more than 750 vehicles, with 15 being installed each month. The devices are used in vehicles driven by new employees or problem drivers. And since installation is fast and easy, Clark notes, the system can be moved from one vehicle to another as needed.

Another powerful benefit of the system, says Clark, is that it helps the company maintain a good image, especially since he thinks of each vehicle as a mini-billboard in the community. "It is dangerous and bad for the industry’s image to have vehicles running red lights and cutting off drivers," he says. "I don’t want any customer to see my trucks driving poorly."

The fact that DriveCam recordings can serve as evidence in the event of accidents is also valuable, Clark says. "That feature alone could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars if you are involved in a multi-car wreck with injuries."

At around $1,000 per vehicle (this includes the DriveCam and HindSight 20/20 software), the system isn’t cheap, but it ultimately has the potential to pay for itself in terms of less wear and tear, fewer accidents, fewer claims, and reduced insurance costs. Clark says it’s too early to tell how much he’s saved in fleet costs so far, but he’s confident the company’s vehicle expenses will decrease. "If it just makes people drive better, it’ll pay for itself in that sense," he says.

For more information about DriveCam and the HindSight 20/20 software, visit www.drivecam.com or call 866/419-5861.

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine. She can be reached at lmckenna@pctonline.com.