Keith Halasy, Senior Director of Marketing, Azuga
The impact of distracted driving on safety, and specifically the rise in mobile device usage behind the wheel, is enormous. NHTSA data shows that the number of accidents from distracted driving incidents related to cell phone use grew 15% annually from 2010 through 2014. In 2014, NHTSA reported that cell phone use while driving was responsible for more than 10,000 crashes and 33,000 injuries.
New Guidelines
NHTSA recently published new guidelines that address mobile device usage in vehicles, trying to tackle the problem from the standpoint of automotive and electronics manufacturers adopting common guidelines for device/automobile interaction. It provides insight on how we’ll use devices in vehicles in the future that will enable safer operation.
Azuga DriveSafe
Right now, though, you can take steps to prevent distracted driving and cell phone use behind the wheel. Given the impact on overall risk and safety for workers, your business, and the public, there’s no reason to wait. Azuga Fleet offers DriveSafe technology, which lets you monitor and prevent the use of cell phones when a vehicle is in motion. It keeps drivers focused on driving, reducing your exposure to the possibility of lawsuits, violations, expenses and damage to your reputation.
Azuga DriveSafe is a small fleet tracking app that is loaded on workers’ cell phones that limits device use based on policies defined by management set through a secure web portal. Safety features include hands-free only calling, a list of allowed numbers, and 911 access. Once the vehicle starts moving, the app locks down the screen and only allows inbound calls from phone numbers that you and your employee decide on. Azuga DriveSafe is always on and requires no Bluetooth pairing or opt-in from drivers.
Learn more about Azuga's fleet management software and our DriveSafe technology, and contact us to see a demonstration.
