Rolling V deploys innovative tool to boost driving behavior

SOUTH FALLSBURG, N.Y. — School and charter bus company Rolling V Bus Corp. has implemented a driving behavior improvement service provided by GreenRoad.

Rolling V’s school bus division provides transportation services to six school districts and is a member of the New York School Bus Contractors Association.

GreenRoad’s service helps drivers identify and correct risky driving behavior in real time, combining in-vehicle technology with integrated Web-based applications that continuously rate driving skills and behavior.

A red-yellow-green LED display is installed in the vehicle, alerting the driver when a maneuver performed is outside the safety parameters designated by the bus company. At the same time, fleet managers can track driving behavior through GreenRoad’s reporting and risk analysis tools.

Using GPS, movement detection technologies and proprietary vehicle safety profiling, GreenRoad calculates an algorithm that determines whether or not a driver is performing within the safety boundaries prescribed by his or her employer. If the driver strays outside those boundaries, for example with too hard a turn or another incorrect maneuver, an LED display flashes a yellow or red light, notifying the driver. Unsafe driving behaviors are also reported to a supervisor or manager, who can monitor drivers in near real time by computer and pursue corrective actions.

Each vehicle is assigned a vehicle safety profile appropriate for the vehicle type and the job application, said David Coleman, director of business development.

Supervisors are able to view reports by logging in to a Web dashboard, where problems can be analyzed by geographic area, historical trend, driver or specific driving skill. If individual drivers show difficulties on a particular day, perhaps route changes can be made, Coleman suggested. Or if a driver shows difficulty with a particular driving skill, he or she can go through training to address that skill.

“We can measure the effectiveness, because the day after the course, I should be able to see the challenge reduce,” Coleman said.

By allowing companies to specifically identify the issues that are occurring on the road, Coleman said implementation of GreenRoad’s system results in increased fuel economy, reduced emissions and fewer at-fault crashes. Commercial fleets that implement the GreenRoad Service typically reduce crashes by up to 50 percent and cut fuel usage and emissions by up to 10 percent, according to the company.

“Our drivers are professionals committed to providing the safest transportation possible to the passengers they serve, so they have embraced the objective, non-intrusive feedback they receive from GreenRoad and the opportunity it affords them to become even better drivers,” said Phil Vallone, president of Rolling V.