Distracted driving ranks as one of the most frequent causes of crashes on the road. The proliferation of mobile devices has made the situation that much worse, with mobile phone alerts and apps competing for a driver’s attention.
It’s a situation fleets can address through advanced software. One of the leaders in the industry is TRUCE, a global company that provides Contextual Mobility Management that helps fleets eliminate the risks of distracted driving. Their system can act as a safety switch on mobile phones, eliminating phone-related distractions and helping drivers keep their eyes on the road.
EnVue Telematics, a leader in advanced telematics products and after-sale consulting services, now offers TRUCE products that eliminate digital distractions behind the wheel and in the workplace.
“We’re excited to offer our products through EnVue Telematics, giving their clients the chance to benefit from the advanced technology our clients use around the world to reduce distracted driving and better manage risk,” said Kimlie Warlick, Director Global Strategic Alliances for TRUCE. “Our goal is nothing short of making roads safer by stopping digital distractions before they happen.”
The Importance of Addressing Distracted Driving
Government statistics show that in one recent year alone, distracted driving led to 424,000 injuries and 3,142 fatalities. Every day in the United States, nine people die because of a crash caused when a driver became distracted.
For fleets, the risks are magnified because of the number of people on the road on any given day. Fleet managers must not only do everything possible to make their drivers safer, but also must manage risk, including the high cost of crashes for fleets.
Even small crashes can cause fleets thousands of dollars in vehicle and property repair costs, legal representation and fees, workers’ compensation costs, and crash-related fines. There are indirect costs as well, including higher insurance rates, lost employee time on the job, and administration time lost dealing with crash-related work.
With all of these factors, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact figure for an average fleet incident. But experts estimate the cost is between $15,000 and $75,000, with the costs rising much higher if a serious injury or fatality is involved.
How TRUCE Helps Prevent Distracted Driving
TRUCE works with any mobile device. Employees place the app on their phone. It then manages the functions and apps an employee can access – as well as when and where they can access them – based on company policy.
For drivers, it makes it impossible to use unsafe apps while behind the wheel. TRUCE can completely eliminate distractions from mobile phones by not letting them happen. Fleet managers set the policies for when and where mobile phones are used by drivers. For example, drivers can access work-related apps as needed, such as GPS.
The advanced technology used by TRUCE products hides distracting apps, alerts and notifications whenever a vehicle is moving. They allow phones to return to normal operations when it is safe to do so.
“What TRUCE offers is a state-of-the-art way to make drivers safer while on the road, eliminating one of the biggest causes of distracted driving,” said Randy Read, Co-Founder of EnVue Telematics. “We are proud to have TRUCE as a partner. Our clients will benefit immediately from what the TRUCE system offers, making drivers safer and helping companies reduce the risk of costly crashes.”
