Driver Safety Devices Help Enforce Policies on the Road
From detecting alcohol use to locking mobile devices to limiting speed, here are some of the products available for boosting safe driver behavior.
Nicole Schlosser・Former Executive Editor
February 17, 2017
3 min to read
From detecting alcohol use to locking mobile devices to limiting speed, here are some of the products available for boosting safe driver behavior.
Breath Monitoring Device Can Lock Engine Upon Detecting Alcohol School transportation providers can manage liability and help ensure safety with the ALCOLOCK V3 breath alcohol monitoring device. The driver must provide a successful breath sample before the engine will start. Testing information is recorded, tamper-proof, and can be stored, monitored, and accessed remotely. ALCOLOCK V3 is engineered to withstand vibration, dirt, dust, humidity, and extreme temperatures for year-round operation. ALCOLOCK www.alcolockusa.com
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Cell Phone-Blocking Software Platform Made to Stop Distracted Driving Cellcontrol’s distracted driving prevention platform, DrivePROTECT, stops mobile device distractions, including texts, phone calls, emails, social media, games, and web browsing, any time a vehicle is in motion. Emergency calls (i.e., 911) are always allowed through the platform, and fleet administrators can decide which mobile functions to allow in safe mode (e.g., allowing navigation apps while blocking texts and handheld calls). The system is enforceable, scalable, and works across all mobile device platforms, including Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile, and is an enforceable solution for the iPhone and iOS devices. Cellcontrol www.cellcontrol.com
Software Designed to Lock Driver’s Mobile Devices FleetSafer from Cogosense Technology is software for smartphones and tablets that automatically puts the device in “Safe Mode” while driving. In Safe Mode, a curtain screen blocks access to the keyboard and screen. All notifications and alerts are suppressed, including incoming calls, texts, and emails. FleetSafer is designed to keep employees and others safe on the road by eliminating distractions from smartphones while driving. Cogosense Technology (formerly Aegis Mobility) www.cogosense.com
Speed Limiter Created to Enhance Safety, Fuel Economy The road speed limiter is a field-programmable device that limits maximum vehicle speed, with up to two independent settings, but does not limit engine output. This can improve safety and fuel economy by preventing speeding. Maximum speeds can be set from 7 mph to 80 mph in single mph increments. Other features that can be activated are a passing mode, emergency response override, theft deterrent mode, and max speed in reverse. Intermotive Vehicle Controls www.intermotive.net
Case Offers Ability to Enforce Phone Policy Shellback Smartphone Safes offer school bus fleet managers a cost-effective way to enforce phone policies and ensure their drivers are not distracted by their phone while driving. For a $20 upfront cost and a $10 per month monitoring fee, managers can use the Smartphone Safe to ensure that their drivers are not using a phone to talk, text, email, check social media, or watch videos while driving. Each safe can hold up to two phones and automatically sends an alert if the phone is taken out of it while the bus is driving.
The phone case has three lights that detail which mode the Smartphone Safe is in, which is designed to make it easy for fleet managers to visually verify that the phone is locked and out of sight as each driver leaves the bus yard. Shellback liveundistracted.com
Sensor Pad Designed to Detect Alcohol Use in Seconds Sober Steering is a touch-based ignition interlock sensor pad placed on the vehicle’s steering wheel that uses advanced biosensor technology to detect the presence of alcohol within five to seven seconds when a driver places a hand on the pad, according to the company. At that point, if the sensors detect alcohol exceeding a pre-set limit, the vehicle is immobilized and an instant message is sent to school transportation personnel.
Sober Steering’s biosensors analyze the gases emitted from the skin to diagnose the body’s condition. Sober Steering www.sobersteering.com
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