Video helps improve safety on the road

Truly Nolen, the Tuscon, Ariz.-based pest management company known for its iconic “mouse cars” and stretch limousines, relies on technology that can review driver behavior.

With a fleet of 933 vehicles for technicians and salespeople, ensuring the safety of drivers and the public is critical. That’s why it uses the Lytx DriveCam safety program.

George Lawlor, IT Director, Truly Nolen

“DriveCam allows us to record and review driver behavior based on certain conditions, and coach employees to become better drivers,” says George Lawlor, Truly Nolen’s director of IT.

It entails a forward-facing camera and a driver-facing camera that record video when triggered. Any number of scenarios could result in a recording, including hitting a bump in the road or colliding with an object.

When an event is recorded, management reviews the video footage with the driver of the vehicle and offers tips on how to be a better, safer driver.

“We trust our drivers, and we can back that up with video,” he says. “The key component is that feedback cycle.”

Watching the video footage together and pinpointing bad habits has a bigger impact than giving a verbal warning, Lawlor adds.

The Lytx platform tracks offenses, and the frequency with which they are repeated. As a result, management can see whether its coaches and their teaching style are effective.

“The number of times the same offense is repeated means you may not be an effective coach, and we have to teach you to be better,” he says. “The constant feedback cycle is very important.”

Anyone who drives a Truly Nolen vehicle knows not to use a mobile device when behind the wheel. Lawlor says drivers are required to follow the law and the company’s safety policy.

“Everybody thinks they are a great driver, until they see themselves on video,” he says. “Then they realize they are not so great.”

Company policy prohibits mobile device use when driving. Drivers must wait until they get to their next stop to check their messages.

Truly Nolen takes advantage of technology to ensure driver safety. PHOTO: Truly Nolen

“The safety of yourself as the driver and the people around you is far more important than anything we need to tell you in the 10 or 1five minutes between service calls,” he says. “Because if we’re routing you efficiently, you’re not driving very far.”

Lawlor says at first, some employees had a problem with being monitored. But that doesn’t happen anymore, now that video technology is widely used by consumers. Video cameras are not only in cellphones, but doorbells, clocks and lamps, too.

He notes the company is not spying on its employees, as DriveCam will not record unless it is triggered.

“This is about recorded events that are triggered by something, so we’re not spying or snooping on them,” Lawlor says. “We’re protecting our employees and the other drivers on the road.”

Truly Nolen is always thinking about how we can do things better, he says, and DriveCam allows the company to have a big impact on safety.

Fleet management begins with the purchase of a vehicle and continues through its entire lifecycle. Sometimes, a vehicle’s lifecycle ends with an accident or litigious situation. Video helps prove who is or is not at fault.

“It has been a huge help in cutting down on accidents and behaviors drivers shouldn’t be doing,” Lawlor says.

from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2019/02/14/video-helps-improve-safety-on-the-road/
Sacramento CA