Distracted Drivers Learn to Pay Attention

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 04, 2009 – Driver Performance Scorecard Saves Lives, Fuel, and Emissions

Denver, Colorado - September 30, 2009 - Cartasite today announced commercial release of the world’s first driver performance analysis system, ROVER™.  Utilizing a simple wireless monitoring plug-in device, Cartasite spent the past two years analyzing driver behavior.  The data has proven to be a powerful and effective tool for identifying ‘drivers-at-risk’.

ROVER, the world’s first Realtime Onboard Vehicle Evaluation Reporting system, utilizes GPS and accelerometer circuits to capture subtle characteristics unique to each driver.  This data is then transmitted wirelessly using cellular networks to a large data warehouse.  Software algorithms rank each driver and generate an overall score, providing quantitative leading indicators of risk that a given driver may be involved in a crash.

Distracted and aggressive driving has become a systemic problem on the nation’s highways in recent years.  Certain data streams gathered by ROVER are an effective tool for identifying patterns which are indicative of driving while distracted.  Specifically, people who text-and-drive typically generate an excessive number of hard braking events, while aggressive drivers generate higher number of ‘jack-rabbit’ starts.

Driving safely saves fuel.  According to the National Highway Safety Administration, aggressive driving reduces fuel consumption by as much as 30%.

Dave Childress of Consolidated Networks Inc. says that the scorecard has made him much more aware of his driving and has helped his company reduce excessive fuel consumption by over 20%.  “Before I got ROVER onboard I didn’t give a lot of thought to my own driving habits. For instance, I had no idea how using my cell phone was causing me to do a lot of hard braking.  ROVER has made me a much more attentive and diligent driver”.

ROVER uses acceleration, speed, idling, location, and time of day to determine overall score for each driver.

Every car built since 1996 has a diagnostic port (OBD) located near the steering column used by mechanics and emissions bureaus to assess engine operations.  Cartasite’s ROVER plugs into this port, taking just seconds to install on any vehicle.  A confidential scorecard is emailed weekly to each driver, providing a detailed evaluation of their performance as compared to others.  Customers can log onto Cartasite’s worldVIEW web application to access realtime vehicle location, idle time, and detailed activity logs.   A notification system generates text or emails for excessive speeding and arrival/departure events.
 
“For years we have offered our customers a realtime map interface.  While it helped companies improve their business efficiencies, there was too much focus on the ‘big brother’ aspects of GPS systems,” said David Armitage, CEO of Cartasite.  “ROVER changes that, bringing to market a potent tool that will help us all become safer drivers.”