Ohio Text-Law Citations to Begin July 1

Ordinance likely to be shelved when state law takes effect in August.
By Terry Morris, Staff Writer 

KETTERING — Enforcement of a new Ohio law prohibiting texting while driving will begin at the end of August, but a city of Kettering law that may soon be shelved provides for citations inside the city limits beginning July 1.

The city’s ordinance banning texting behind the wheel was approved in December 2011 and took effect in January, but provided a six-month training and education period during which only warnings were issued.

That cushion is about to end, although the city is expected to discontinue its ordinance once the state law takes hold.

Kettering police will begin issuing citations July 1, public information officer Ronald Roberts said.
Officers will be focusing on drivers who exhibit signs of distraction due to texting, such as “swerving in their lanes, sitting stopped at a green light and striking a curb with their tires.”

Some aspects of the Kettering ordinance are stricter than the state’s, which is toughest on teenage violators. In Kettering, texting behind the wheel will be a primary offense for drivers of all ages.
The fine, which is set by Kettering Municipal Court, will be $105.

“It has always been our intention to rescind our ordinance if the state passed a law,” said Kettering vice mayor at-large council member Amy Schrimpf.

District 3 council member Tony Klepacz, who was a proponent of one of the first local texting ordinances in the nation, said he would support that change.

Re-posted by Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics in Cincinnati Ohio. Lynx Telematics is the developer of the Lynxsafe Teen Driving Monitor that allows parents of teen drivers to eliminate texting and driving by their teen drivers while at the same time, ensuring safe driving habits by monitoring speed, seat belt usage, driving habits and mechanical failures.

For more information, contact Vincent Rush at vrush@lynxtelematics.com or (513) 965-6318

Momspeak: The perils of teen driving, and letting go

 Momspeak: The perils of teen driving, and letting go By Tracy Grant I remember tucking their two premature bodies — each weighing less than five pounds — into the newly installed car seats in the back of the Toyota Corolla for the 12-minute drive from Holy Cross Hospital to our home in Silver Spring. My husband drove the back roads because fewer cars meant lower chances of a collision, a lesser likelihood that another driver would grow angry at and aggressive with the car that crept along at five miles below the speed limit. When we pulled into the driveway, it was with audible sighs of relief. Never again would a car journey with our sons be so fraught with anxiety and perceived peril.

 That is, until you make the appointment for that once-sub-five-pounder to take his driving test. Christopher has had his permit for the required nine months. We have spent time virtually every weekend driving. If I am to be fair, I have to concede that I no longer sit in the passenger seat not breathing, knuckles white, my foot depressing an imaginary brake. He has mastered changing lanes, highway driving, night driving, even driving in the rain. I am almost comfortable with him driving his brother and me almost anywhere we need to go. In an emergency, I would feel that he could get me where I needed to go.

 In short, I was slowly — very slowly — moving toward acceptance of the idea of Christopher, having his driver’s license. That is, until the release of two studies last month by the American Automobile Association and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on the perils of teen driving.

 The AAA study added new data to the long-proven fact that teens are the most dangerous drivers on the road. Specifically, the research found that the chances of a fatal accident increase by almost half when a 16- or 17-year-old driver has one teenage passenger. The risk doubles when the teen driver has two teen buddies in the car and quadruples when the teen passengers number three or more.

 The Insurance Institute study found that teen deaths in automobile accidents have fallen since 1996, when tougher rules requiring graduated licensing for teen drivers were enacted. (Graduated licensing refers to requiring teens to have a set number of supervised hours of driving — generally about 60 — before they can get what is called a provisional license that imposes some restrictions, including on the number of minors in the car and on night driving.) But it also reported that if states enacted tougher licensing rules, 500 deaths and 9,500 crashes involving teen drivers could be avoided each year.

When Christopher started the driver’s ed process, the thought of driving with him for 60 hours seemed daunting and interminable. At times during the last nine months, it has proved to be that — for both of us. But is he a better driver at 16 than I was? Absolutely. Would I object if the state required him to get another 10 or 20 hours of supervised driving before he could take his license test? Absolutely not. A friend whose son got his license within the past year told me she offered him this bit of wisdom before he took the test: “Failing the test doesn’t make you a bad driver, and passing it doesn’t make you a good one.”

 I have warned Christopher that having his license isn’t likely to change his driving habits very much. He can drive just about anyplace we go as a family, but the notion of my tossing him the car keys and offering a cheery “be safe” as he, his brother and some buddies go off to the movies doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

“We know that carrying young passengers is a huge risk, but it’s also a preventable one,” said AAA Foundation President Peter Kissinger in presenting his study’s findings. Oh, and did I mention that the other sub-five-pounder is finishing up his two-week driver’s ed course this week? Here we go again.

 Tracy Grant is the editor of KidsPost. Her Momspeak column runs every other week.

If you're a concerned parent of a teen driver and would like more information on the LynxSafe Teen Driving Monitor by Lynx Telematics, that eliminates Texting and Driving, Speeding, Distracted Driving and monitors seat belt usage, mechanical failures and allows a parent to set up geo fencing, please contact Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics at vrush@lynxtelematics.com or directly at (513) 965-6318

Telematics Insurance Simplified

Jared Davidson, Commercial Insurance Agent at Beehive Insurance If you’ve heard of the word, you likely work in the fleet management industry—or maybe you’re a tech junkie(!). What does telematics have to do with insurance you might be asking? Telematics is a relatively new field in technology that combines telecommunications and informatics – the study of information processing. GPS is a form of telematics. A Vehicle early warning system, such as GM’s OnStar, is another. To compare GPS to today’s telematics would be like comparing an analog cell phone from 25 years ago to today’s versatile smart phones. Businesses that operate fleets of vehicles today are under constant pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency through improved fuel economy, better driver behavior, more effective dispatching and tracking, and overall vehicle management. The FMCSA in conjunction with the USDOT has enacted regulations and guidelines that reflect their push to improve overall road safety through better monitoring of driver behavior and vehicle road worthiness. Today’s cutting edge telematics devices integrate vehicle data obtained from the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics devices, which since 1996 are on all vehicles under 12,000 lbs GVW, with GPS data as well as driver inputs such as braking and acceleration levels to monitor overall vehicle operation. Telematics devices are becoming less proprietary over time so the cost of entry is becoming lower. The newest systems are cloud based and work on all major brand smart phones and tablet devices. Windows and/or Apple based operating systems are used at the dispatching end and Android (and other) operating systems on the driver’s end. Telematics systems can (and should) include real-time dispatching, routes traveled, and locations traveled to. There are applications that factor in traffic and weather data to route the vehicle to the most efficient way to reach its destination. This can result in savings through fewer miles traveled, lost time in traffic, and decreased idle time. Many hand held devices can now be configured to only allow incoming calls from numbers chosen by the employer, with similar restrictions on out-bound communications, reducing distractions to a minimum. Driver logs and post-trip inspections can also be performed with some of the better telematics software, reducing costs related to employees’ time to perform these government mandated duties, with the input automatically uploaded to the company’s server for real-time record keeping. So again, what does this have to do with my insurance? Well, several insurance companies have completed studies indicating that businesses that utilize telematics have fewer claims on their commercial auto policies. Lower claims for a business owner means that their account becomes more attractive to a potential insurer, and are more likely to get their best price on a quote. Some large commercial auto insurance companies are giving discounts for permanently attached telematics devices as well. Additional benefits can include time, money, and attention saved not having to deal with claims. Like deductibles, vehicle rental, repair shop issues, purchasing a replacement vehicle, possible negative publicity, and expenses related to training employees in new vehicle operation. Additionally, drivers have been shown to have fewer moving violations and accidents when they understand their vehicle and driving habits are being monitored. Quick location and recovery of stolen vehicles is much more likely. Even when the vehicle is not in use, the tracking device will ‘ping’ its location every few minutes. Weekend and holiday vehicle use can be monitored and better controlled by the business owner, lowering miles traveled, fuel expense, and unnecessary vehicle wear and tear costs. All of this adds up to a more efficient, well run vehicle fleet – and makes the roads safer for all of us. Jared Davidson Senior Account Executive 801-743-7717 | jadavidson@beehiveinsurance.com

Telematics Companies Helping to Save Lives through Anti-Text Technology

Lynx Telematics and Inthink Technology Solutions Inc., two global telematics companies centered on fleet management and driver safety solutions, have stepped up to the challenge of helping Fleet managers clamp down on irresponsible drivers by attacking the “Texting While Driving” epidemic. While Lynx Telematics has already been working with text and web browsing disabling technology both for Fleets and parents of teen drivers, InThink recently revealed its new patented cell and text detection antenna at the NAFA 2012 Institute and Expo in St. Louis. This ground-breaking technology detects cell phone wave frequencies emitted from the driver seat, verbally warns the user to terminate the call or text and sends real-time alerts to a web portal or directly to a manager. In anticipation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association’s (FMCSA) recent ban on all cell phone use for commercial vehicles—and directly supporting the NTSB recommendation—Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics began working on developing a solution in 2011. “I originally set out to develop a solution that “married” cell phone scrambling technology with the cars computer main frame system that would disable the phone itself when the car was put in gear. However, I found that I could not go to market with that technology so I turned my attention to the telematics industry and developed a complete solution that not only disables texting and web browsing among drivers, but monitors seat belt usage, vehicle speed, engine idling time, poor driving habits and real time ECM diagnostics.” “I saw the texting ban coming down the road three years ago. Originally my mission was to impact teen drivers and their families but now we are having a major impact on commercial fleets.” said Rush. “We typically are able to help our fleet based companies cut 10-28% from their annual fuel budget, which more that pays for the investment into the technology however, more and more fleets are putting safety above operation costs.” Inthink developed their patented cell and text detection antenna technology to help fleet managers remain compliant with federal regulations. According to the rule, commercial carriers may face fines of up to $11,000. “Distracted driving accounts for 16 percent of all traffic fatalities,” said Todd W. Follmer, CEO of Inthink Technology Solutions. “It is important for managers to know when drivers are putting lives at risk by choosing to use a cell phone while driving. Other technologies may attempt to block the signal, but real-time detection and coaching is the only sure way to eliminate any type of cell phone activity on any phone—not just company issued phones.” The cell and text detection antenna will be integrated with Inthink’s Way Smartäsolution, the most comprehensive fleet management device on the market. With Way Smart, fleet managers can monitor driver behavior with features such as GPS-based vehicle tracking and in-cab verbal coaching alerts for speeding, idling, seat belt use and aggressive driving. Both companies’ innovative solutions communicate via satellite to the managed portals, allowing Fleet Managers to reward safe driving behavior and identify drivers in need of additional training. Managers can receive instant notification via email or text message when a driver has been in an accident or committed a severe infraction. For more information, contact Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics at (866) 314-0461 For more information on how Lynx Telematics, an OEM located in Cincinnati, Ohio can help your fleet become more operationally efficient or custom design a solution to meet your fleet management needs, contact Vincent Rush at (866) 314-0461 LynxTelematics is an OEM that controls design, engineering, firmware, software development, IT support and manufacturing processes of our product, allowing us to produce the highest quality product in our industry, while offering our customers competitive pricing. As your partner, we provide ongoing training and support to insure that the product is properly sold to the end user, maximizing the re-sellers profitability. As one of the pioneers in telematics technologies, Lynx Telematics provides our clients with powerful end-to-end vehicle telematics tools. Our technology offers a real solution that delivers safety, saves money and provides an unprecedented level of peace of mind to our customers.

Fatal Auto Crashes Up Despite Rise In Patrols

Ohio Patrol says many of this year’s 312 victims weren’t using seat belts.

 By Mark Gokavi, Staff Writer, Dayton Daily News

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 

More people are dying on Ohio roads at a significantly higher rate in the first four months of this year after a record-low number of traffic deaths last year. 

The 16.4 percent rise in statewide traffic fatalities in the first third of 2012 comes despite the Ohio Highway Patrol cracking down on drunk driving and seat belt and felony drug violations. 

Plus, the six-county area of Montgomery, Warren, Butler, Preble, Darke and Miami has seen 24 more traffic fatalities — many not wearing seat belts — than during the same period in 2011. Those numbers don’t yet include a recent double fatality in Butler County or a late-April fatal in Greene County. 

“Fatals are a difficult thing for us to curb,” said OHP Lt. Matt Hamilton of the Warren County Post. “We’re aggressive in OVI (Operating a Vehicle while under the Influence of drugs or alcohol) and seat belt enforcement so if that crash does happen, they have the best chance that they have to survive.”

Statewide, provisional OHP statistics show there have been 312 fatalities (from 275 crashes) through four months in 2012. 

That number was 268 in 2011, which became the lowest auto-related fatality year (1,020 deaths from 947 accidents) in Ohio history and also the lowest nationally. 

A national highway safety advocate said Ohio lacks leadership and commitment to strengthen laws. Jackie Gillan, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said Ohio is among the worst eight states in that organization’s annual report. 

“Ohio is at the bottom of the barrel because they are lacking so many critical laws like primary enforcement of seat belt, all-rider motorcycle helmet laws, they don’t have major elements of an important teen driving law, they have weak drunk-driving laws,” Gillan said. 

Gillan’s organization supports limits for teen drivers such as night-time and cellphone restrictions, and 16 as the minimum age for learner’s permits. In Ohio, most drunk-driving crimes are misdemeanors unless drivers have multiple offenses. 

Most dead weren’t wearing belts

 

Of the 38 deaths in those six local counties through April that did not involve pedestrians or motorcycles, at least 25 were not wearing seat belts. In four more cases it’s unknown if seat belts were used. The causes of the crashes range from people falling asleep to driving left of center to alcohol-related and excessive speed.

“There’s crashes and it’s people being ejected out of the vehicle and the crashed car, in the compartment, there isn’t any real intrusion or trees or poles or anything, it’s just a damaged car,” said Sgt. Jeff Kramer of the post that serves Montgomery County. “But not having their safety belt on they get ejected out of the windshield or something like that and then the car rolls over on them. 

“I don’t know for sure that they’d be alive had they worn their seat belt, (but) probably there’s a good chance the injuries would be minimal and not fatal. We see this time and time and time again. It’s just a simple thing of clicking your seat belt.” 

Despite seat belt infractions being a secondary offense, enforcement also is up 16.4 percent in Ohio overall and much higher in some counties. 

In Montgomery County, seat belt enforcement is up 64.7 percent — 799 in 2012 versus 485 in the same time frame last year. In Greene County, seat belt tickets are up nearly 70 percent. In Warren County, those numbers are up 44 percent. And in Miami County, troopers have enforced seat belt infractions 511 times, up from 267 in that period last year — a 91.4 percent increase. 

“We’ve had four fatal (crashes) with four dead,” said Sgt. Vee Witcher of the Piqua Post. “None were wearing seat belts, so that’s why we’re cracking belts.” 

Gillan said an unbuckled seat belt should be a primary reason to pull someone over. 

“We know that wearing a seat belt is one of the most important things you can do to protect you and your family,” Gillan said. “So why are we tying the hands of law enforcement so that they can only enforce the law if they see someone doing something else that’s equally or more dangerous?” 

All enforcement increasing

 

Statewide, troopers made more than 24,000 additional enforcement stops from January through April compared to this time in 2011 — an increase of 16.3 percent. 

Drug violations were up 32.8 percent, felony arrests up 18.1 percent, misdemeanor summons up 36.1 percent and commercial vehicle enforcement up 19.6 percent, among others. 

“The new leadership in the Highway Patrol is a big part of this. We’re refocusing our efforts on the things that the public find most important,” Hamilton said of Col. John Born, who took over in 2011 as the OHP’s superintendent. 

The “Trooper Shield” initiative was introduced in 2011 and continues to pick up steam in 2012. Officials say Born wants criminal patrol to be as important as traffic enforcement. 

“If you drink and drive, we’re looking for you. If you’re hauling drugs on our roads, we’re looking for you,” said Sgt. Anthony Lauer of the post that serves Greene County. “And bottom line is a seat belt is going to save your life. That’s where you’re seeing an increase in those numbers.” 

County numbers

 

In Greene County, that mentality has translated into much higher numbers of OVI violations (29 percent) and drug violations (30 from 11). In Warren County, OVIs are up 26 percent and commercial vehicle violations (tied mainly to construction zones on I-71 and I-75) are up 55 percent. 

In Miami County, overall enforcement stops are up 64.7 percent — from 1,262 in the same time frame last year to 2,112 this year. In Montgomery County, some felony and drug violations are down, but overall enforcement stops are up 36 percent. 

“Trooper Shield is kind of a new phrase that the patrol has been using, adopted by our Col. John Born,” Kramer said. “The premise is getting in the minds of the troopers, ‘What will you do today to contribute to a safer Ohio?’ ” 

Kramer said the OHP will keep finding violations, especially during the Prom, Memorial Day and graduation season. But troopers can’t put on seat belts, which he said is the best defense in a crash: “It’s all in their hands when they make that decision.”

For more information, contact Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics at (866) 314-0461 

 For more information on how Lynx Telematics, an OEM located in Cincinnati, Ohio can help your fleet become more operationally efficient or custom design a solution to meet your fleet management needs, contact Vincent Rush at (866) 314-0461

LynxTelematics is an OEM that controls design, engineering, firmware, software development, IT support and manufacturing processes of our product, allowing us to produce the highest quality product in our industry, while offering our customers competitive pricing.

As your partner, we provide ongoing training and support to insure that the product is properly sold to the end user, maximizing the re-sellers profitability.

As one of the pioneers in telematics technologies, Lynx Telematics provides our clients with powerful end-to-end vehicle telematics tools. Our technology offers a real solution that delivers safety, saves money and provides an unprecedented level of peace of mind to our customers. 

Our product, LynxSafe, is the newest and most advanced Text and Web Browsing Disabling technology, in-vehicle communication system currently on the market. It combines GPS/satellite and GSM cellular technology to provide users and family members with immediate access to real-time information including seat belt usage, speed, accident notification, and real time ECM diagnostics  delivered directly via any internet enabled device including Android and Blackberry smart phones.

 

Newest prom danger: Texts

Distracted driving latest focus of annual mock crash

 MARION - Mock crashes in the spring are as much the norm for high schools as their proms and graduations.

Once a message not to drink and drive, they are now used as a tool against distracted driving as well.
The Marion post of the Ohio Highway Patrol staged a mock crash attended by students from Elgin, Marion Catholic, Pleasant and Ridgedale high schools Monday morning at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Firefighters from the Marion City and Marion Township fire departments worked together to free "victims" from vehicles using the Jaws of Life and saws.

Students portrayed the victims. Ridgedale's Samantha Burns was the fatality, on the ground covered in a white sheet. Highway patrol trooper Ben Addy gave the safe-driving speech, walking through the grandstand and talking to students with the crash scene in the background.

He shared some stories, including one in which two family members died in a crash caused by a distracted driver trying to pass a semitrailer.

"That vehicle is a missile," Addy said, recalling something a past post commander used to say about the dangers of unsafe driving. "We are hoping you guys will listen to us."

Distracted driving has become part of the talk of law enforcement as they educate teens about the consequences of unsafe driving.

Lt. Lance Shearer, commander of the patrol's Marion post, said dangers include texting and driving as well as changing the radio or eating while driving. He said distracted driving is a huge issue of concern when it comes to causes of avoidable crashes.

"You know kids are doing it," he said.

A Pew Internet and American Life survey completed in 2009 found that 34 percent of 16- and 17-year-old teen texter respondents said they had texted while driving. The report estimated that about 26 percent of all American teens ages 16 to 17 text while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 16 percent of fatal crashes and 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. Sixteen percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reportedly distracted while driving.

As far as dangers, a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study stated that sending or receiving a text takes the driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that would be the same as driving the length of a football field blind.

The issue has been discussed in the Legislature. The Ohio Senate recently passed a bill that would ban texting while driving. The bill, which must be approved by the Ohio House, would make texting and driving a primary offense for teens younger than 18.

That means law enforcement could pull teens over for the offense without spotting any other offenses and teens could face a 60-day license suspension for a first offense.

Ridgedale student Hannah Loper said she volunteered to portray a crash victim because it sounded like fun and teaches teens not to text and drive. She and other students agreed that it is a problem.
While talking about distracted driving, troopers also lectured against the dangers of drinking and driving. Addy told students not to drink considering they are underage, but added that if they do, to only do so in moderation and not drive for any reason.

He talked about the scenes that first responders come across as he referred to an area of broken glass on a van's windshield. That area, he said, is commonly caused by the head of a driver not wearing a seat belt.

"A lot of times you will find hair, skin, blood right in the windshield," he said.

Student volunteers described their experience as interesting but a bit uncomfortable.

"I think the Jaws of Life is pretty scary," said Loper, who portrayed the driver of a car involved in the crash. She sat with a sheet over her as firefighters cut off and removed the car's top.

"It was a new experience but scary at the same time," she said. "The saw is by your head."

Burns spent the entire time lying on the ground as if she was dead. A firefighter laid a sheet over her and continued to the car as he and others worked to free victims.

Addy explained that first responders focus on the living because that's who they can still help.
"I thought it was pretty scary," Burns said. "I was supposed to be dead. They said, 'She's dead. Don't worry about her.'"

Reporter Kurt Moore: 740-375-5151, kdmoore@ marionstar.com or on Twitter @StarKurtMoore

For information on the LynxSafe Teen Driving Monitor, that disables texting and driving, along with web browsing, contact Development Manager Vincent Rush at Lynx Telematics in Cincinnati, Ohio at 513-965-6318 or 513-702-0495. Vincent Rush can also be reached by email at vrush@lynxtelematics.com or visit http://lynxtelematics.com for information on Lynx Telematics.

Ohio Senate votes to outlaw texting while driving

Photo by LynxSafe and the new LynxSafe Anti-Texting / Teen Safe Driving Monitor

COLUMBUS — Even as some members conceded that they are as guilty as anyone, the Ohio Senate voted 25-8 across party lines today to make Ohio the 38th state to criminalize texting while driving.

They also went a step further to prohibit teen drivers from operating or programming a cell phone, portable computer, directional device, or any other electronic device while driving.

An adult who texts and drives would be guilty of a minor misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $150. Like Ohio’s mandatory seat belt law, it would be a secondary offense requiring police to have another reason for pulling the driver over.

But for the teen under the age of 18 who violates the broader ban on electronic devices, it would be a primary offense, meaning police would need no other reason for the traffic stop. The first offense could lead to a $150 fine and a 60-day license suspension. The second would carry a $300 fine and one-year suspension.

Sen. John Eklund (R., Chardon) pointed to a previously enacted law that made it illegal for a teen driver to have more than one non-family passenger in his vehicle as evidence that curbing driver distractions saves lives.

“Over the course of three years, a 26 percent reduction in the number of fatalities of that group of drivers in the state of Ohio… by removing a distraction,’’ he said. “There is nobody in this room who would suggest that the use of these gizmos is not a distraction…

“When this bill passes, don’t violate the law,’’ Mr. Eklund said. “It’s really very simple, and you’re not then going to be called a hypocrite.’’

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Rex Damschroder (R., Fremont) and Nancy Garland (D., New Albany), overwhelmingly passed the Ohio House last year but without the more restrictive provisions applying to teen drivers. Mr. Damschroder introduced it after a newly licensed 16-year-old girl in his district, while texting, crossed the center line and killed a motorcyclist headed in the opposite direction.

Some opponents of the bill, however, argued that it infringes on individual rights while including so many exceptions as to render it unenforceable.

“There are 10 exemptions for adult drivers to utilize electronic devices behind the wheel…,’’ said Sen. Capri Cafaro (D., Hubbard). “This definition (of “texting’’) basically says that… I can use my phone to read the newspaper, play games, and write myself a note because it’s not an e-mail, a text message, or instant message. I certainly don’t feel that this bill fulfills the objective that it sets out to achieve.’’

Among members representing northwest Ohio, the bill drew support from Sens. Mark Wagoner (R., Ottawa Hills), Cliff Hite (R., Findlay), and David Burke (R., Marysville). The sole northwest vote in opposition was cast by Sen. Edna Brown (D., Toledo), who offered an unsuccessful amendment to make it more restrictive.

“Instead of Ohio passing a controversial law with exemptions and possible loopholes, why don’t we pass meaningful legislation that requires all communication while driving in Ohio to be totally hands free,’’ she said.

The bill now returns to the House for approval of the Senate changes. It would not override more stringent ordinances enacted in local communities. The texting ban in Toledo, for instance, carries a fine of $1,000 plus six months in jail.

Sen. Bill Seitz (R., Cincinnati) argued that having state and local laws could lead to a driver being punished twice for the same activity.

For further information on the LynxSafe Ant-Text / Teen Safe Driving Monitor, Contact Vincent Rush at Lynx Telematics in Milford, Ohio at (513) 965-6318 or vrush@lynxtelematics.com

Cox Enterprises Uses Telematics and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles to Cut Costs and Reduce Its Carbon Footprint

Cox Enterprises Uses Telematics and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles to Cut Costs and Reduce Its Carbon Footprint

ATLANTA – Cox Enterprises celebrated the fifth anniversary of Cox Conserves, the company’s national sustainability program, and provided details on its 12,000-vehicle fleet’s specific achievements in its latest corporate sustainability report.

The company said it launched the Cox Conserves program in 2007, and that it is designed to reduce Cox Enterprises’ energy consumption “by embracing renewable forms of energy, conserving natural resources and inspiring eco-friendly behavior.”

Cox Enterprises said it currently employs flex-fuel vehicles and is replacing fleet vehicles with a mix of more fuel-efficient models and hybrids. The company said a number of these vehicles are used by its Cox Communications division.

Currently, 90% of Cox’s executive fleet vehicles each get 27 mpg, 10% of the fleet consists of Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEV) and LEED-ranked vehicles, and the fleet now has nearly 300 hybrid vehicles. For the company’s network operations vehicles, 90% of them use a new hybrid operating system that allows them to emit zero emissions during aerial operation.

Cox also employs a GPS/telematics system, now installed in a total of 5,000 vehicles in the fleet, which the company said saves more than 1 million gallons of fuel each year. The system also helps Cox reduce its carbon footprint by more than 25 million lbs. of CO2. Other features of the GPS/telematics system include a vehicle diagnostics component, which the company said helps drivers reduce fuel use (by controlling engine idle time) and C02 emissions, and a “GeoManager” module. The GeoManager features mapping and real-time traffic, and allows field tech supervisors and dispatchers to improve operating efficiency and customer service and reduce operating costs. Both features allowed Cox to reduce vehicle idle time by 84%, from 90 minutes per day to 15, during the first year of the system’s use. The company also created a “no-idle” zone at the Atlanta headquarters’ loading dock.

For the executive vehicle program, Cox employees must choose a vehicle that achieves mpg of 27 or better. Cox partners with Georgia’s Clean Air Campaign and the Perimeter Transportation Coalition. Clean Air Campaign recognized Cox with a PACE Large Business Award in 2006 and a PACE Innovator Award for a Green Fleet in 2008, according to the company.

Additional transportation options for employees also help reduce the company’s carbon footprint and costs. The company utilizes a shuttle system that transports employees to a public transit station (including MARTA). Cox also provides a motor pool via a Borrow-A-Hybrid program. Vehicles branded with “Cox Conserves” are available to employees who take alternative forms of transportation. Employees can check out the cars if they need to attend an off-site meeting, for example. The company also provides a guaranteed ride home if an emergency occurs to employees who take public transportation.

Re-posted from Automotive Fleet Magazine, April 26th

For more information, contact Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics at (866) 314-0461 

 For more information on how Lynx Telematics, an OEM located in Cincinnati, Ohio can help your fleet become more operationally efficient or custom design a solution to meet your fleet management needs, contact Vincent Rush at (866) 314-0461

LynxTelematics is an OEM that controls design, engineering, firmware, software development, IT support and manufacturing processes of our product, allowing us to produce the highest quality product in our industry, while offering our customers competitive pricing.

As your partner, we provide ongoing training and support to insure that the product is properly sold to the end user, maximizing the re-sellers profitability.

As one of the pioneers in telematics technologies, Lynx Telematics provides our clients with powerful end-to-end vehicle telematics tools. Our technology offers a real solution that delivers safety, saves money and provides an unprecedented level of peace of mind to our customers. 

Our product, LynxSafe, is the newest and most advanced in-vehicle communication system currently on the market. It combines GPS/satellite and GSM cellular technology to provide users and family members with immediate access to real-time information delivered directly via any internet enabled device including I Phone and Android smart phones.

All of our devices benefit from the innovation of U-Blox technology and a 3D Accelerometer, providing the industry’s most accurate pin point locating technology to within a 3 ft. radius.

Telematics Technology Proves Driver Safety and Fleet Savings Go Hand-in-Hand

Fleet Owners Cut Costs With Driving Habits

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Apr 12, 2012 (WIRED MARKET ONLINE) – Lynx Telematics Technology Solutions Inc., a global telematics company centered on fleet management and driver safety solutions, is proving a direct correlation exists between driver habits and fleet operational cost savings. With Lynx Telematics Go5 -- the most comprehensive solution designed to improve driver safety, fleet management and compliance -- fleet owners are able to increase fuel efficiency on average by 20 percent, reduce maintenance costs by 20 percent and avoid costly penalties and fines.

"Fleet owners from all over the globe have turned to Lynx for a fleet management solution that will not only save lives, but improve their bottom line as well," said David Holland, Lynx VP. "With data collected from tens-of-thousands of vehicles using our technology for the past several years, we have proven to dramatically improve driving behavior, leading to fewer crashes, better fuel economy and safer, more productive drivers."

AAA reports that accident costs amount to over 164 billion dollars per year. To avoid incurring collision costs, Lynx Telematics offers the only solution that provides real-time in-cab verbal alerts to drivers when speeding, idling, driving aggressively or not wearing a seat belt. By mentoring drivers into developing safer driving habits, fleet managers can expect a reduction in speeding and aggressive driving of more than 86 percent, leading to greater fuel efficiency and significantly lower rate of crashes.

"While working for 34 years at one of the largest mining companies in the world, we achieved a 77 percent reduction in driver incidents in one year after installing telematic technology across our fleets," said Bruce Huber, newly named Vice President of Safety. "By improving driver behavior, we were not only able to protect the lives of our drivers, but save money on fuel and maintenance costs as well."

With Lynx Telematics, fleet managers can also monitor fleet vehicles and identify areas to reduce operational costs. Through satellite and cellular based tracking, managers can monitor trips taken and vehicle MPG, ultimately eliminating unauthorized trips and improving company productivity.

About Lynx Telematics is a Cincinnati based company centered on telematics, fleet solutions and driving safety. Its breakthrough driving safety solutions are designed to safeguard lives, save money and protect the environment. LynxSafe technology dramatically improves driver behavior and has been documented to reduce accidents by more than 80 percent. For more information, please visit http://www.lynxtelematics.com

For further information, contact Vincent Rush at (513) 965-6318 or at vrush@lynxtelematics.com

Reasons That Fleet Telematics Projects Fail

11 Reasons Telematics Projects Fail

You Named the Project “The GPS Program” or “The Black Box Project”

What’s in a name? Maybe everything, if from the name, employees decide what a project is and how it will affect them.  Every project that a company invests time and resources into gets broad organizational exposure. You hear the hallway grumbling about “this or that project” that the company has underway. The name of the project can have serious impacts on what the organization thinks the project is and how it will affect employees (and management) personally. Let’s be clear – GPS stands for Global Positioning System and is a technology component that is becoming a standard in everything from vehicles to mobile devices. Like a clock on a microwave, or on a coffee maker or DVD player – GPS is simply an input into adding location information to the things that we value. Imagine if your company embarked on an extensive upgrade to your information technology infrastructure to benefit employees and customers – and named the project “The CPU” project.  Pick a project name that creates excitement for your company and meaningfully represents the results that you are seeking everyone to participate in achieving. The “Driving Excellence Project”, “Driving Performance and Safety Program” or the “Drive Green Initiative” – for example.

Ambiguous Project Requirements and Goals

Take control of the project. Assign a project manager who collaborates directly with key departmental stakeholders from Risk & Safety, Operations, Human Resources, Fleet Management, and Finance to define specific detailed project requirements that have tangible, measurable, ROI.  While this seems obvious, many companies will skip this stage and go right to applying a solution to jump start a project.  In-vehicle technology solution providers are constantly soliciting their services to companies with fleet vehicles. This is not a commodity market and not all solutions are equal. The impacts to your employees, culture, and financial return vary significantly from supplier to supplier.  Don’t assume requirements (such as project controls, management dashboards, application functionality, data, enterprise integration, measurements, policy, and workflow) are met.  ‘Telematics’ and other similar projects tend to fail and the companies usually encounter over spending, project restarts, rework, and/or unmet expectations. Many of you reading this – have a “trash heap” of in-vehicle technology past projects.

The Project Starts with “A Couple Free Devices”

 Frequently the technology vendor will show up and say “how about we set you up with a few free boxes?” Sounds great, right?  Maybe not.  While it may be attractive from a project startup cost standpoint – it’s potentially the start of a project that goes nowhere.  Right from the start this approach focuses on “the device” not on the people, process, and measurable results. If the goal of the initiative is to improve the driving culture – how are we going to do that on a couple drivers with a couple free boxes? What will these drivers think of their supervisors? Why were they singled out? How is does this initiative support the organizational goals for the fiscal year? Generally, this approach is more about the supplier getting in your door, then it is about your likelihood of sustainable organizational and financial results from an initiative.

Lack of Executive Support

Organizations focus, and apply resources, to approved projects that are based on solving defined problems and providing measurable results.  Executive sponsors champion, and key stakeholders rally behind, initiatives that have broad organizational visibility and resourcing approvals. Your “Driving Performance and Safety” initiative should have a highly visible executive sponsor, the goals/results of the initiative should foot to a fiscal year corporate objective (like “saving 10% of our fuel expenditure, reducing the frequency and severity of crashes and risk by 40%, and eliminating CO2 emissions for a greener planet”). Your executive sponsor and stakeholders can add weight and momentum to a project that is tied to corporate goals.

Large Changes to Project Requirements and Scope

Beware of the “Driver Performance” initiative that turns into the “Vehicle Maintenance” project. The reward of having a robust requirements list and involvement of stakeholders comes at the risk of your project core ROI being hijacked.  It also runs the risk of requirements becoming so large and broad that the technology is unavailable to satisfy – so the project goes nowhere waiting endlessly for the all inclusive technology that may someday become available. Meanwhile, real value – the largest ROI, potentially – is left languishing in hope of future technical advances. The most prevalent of this example is projects that start from the premise of providing ROI based on fuel and risk savings through driver feedback and coaching that turn into initiatives that require predictive maintenance based on diagnostic fault code data. There are many initiatives that have been derailed as the issues of vehicle data standards across year/makes/models, integration of diagnostic data with in-sourced (or outsourced) maintenance services, and OEM warranty impacts  – confuse the initiative and grind otherwise successful projects to a halt. Years of lost savings from fuel and risk reductions alone are wasted at the expense of solving the complexities of the motor company products and data.

 Failure to Establish Employee Expectations and Benefits

WIFM – “What’s In It For Me?” All participants in the initiative need to have the WIFM question answered. It’s unfair to ask employees to participate in a work changing process with no clear understanding of the benefit.  “GPS projects” that are seen as data collection initiatives to track  employees – communicates that the organization thinks their employees are stealing (time) from them and that they are lazy and should be working harder. It may also communicate that supervisors are inefficient in how they schedule and manage resources.  “Video camera projects” that are seen as demeaning/spying technology is not going to be widely received with approval by the employee base. The extra burden on supervisors who will have to police these videos may not be received well. What is the message you are trying to communicate to the employees and supervisors? What does the initiative (and technology) say about the employee/employer relationship? If you have a corporate goal to “be the best place to work” how is the initiative supporting that goal? What are impacts to hiring and retention? How is the initiative supporting the employee goals for each fiscal year? Answer WIFM for each participant in the initiative and you will be much more likely to achieve success, and organizational support.

You Did Not Lead With a Positive Launch

This will come as no surprise – people are resistant to change. Change, regardless of the end-result, goes through the SARA process (Shock, Anger, Resistance, and Acceptance). Any change in corporate process or policy will be subject to the SARA rule. Why would this initiative be different? Can you imagine that sticking a GPS/Black Box/Video camera into the employee’s “office” (the vehicle) is going to be seen in anyway positive – if the imitative does not clearly have a benefit to them and isn’t attached to a positive consequence from the beginning? There are several ways that this can be accomplished. Starting with integration to existing employee benefit programs, the construct of new incentive programs, individual and team competitions. What is clear is that employees want the autonomy to do their jobs well. They want tools that they can use to measure themselves against the corporate policies and goals BEFORE supervisor intervention. The best employees will compete to continue to be the best. Lesser employees want the chance to be the best. Self-direction and autonomy are the keys to support both of these employee types. How is your in-vehicle project providing the employee tools and technology to achieve self-direction and autonomy, before supervisor intervention?

Measurement and Metrics

Beware the project that introduces financial or reporting metrics that are not leveraging/interfacing/enhancing as much as possible existing financial/budget reporting. For example if the fleet fuel budget is currently reported to the CFO, and the project expects to demonstrate fuel savings, the existing measurement/reporting process that finance uses needs to show demonstrable positive change. Introducing a new measurement, disconnected from how fleet expenditures are captured and report today, will be difficult for finance to support as demonstrable change. Fuel consumption data and existing MPG reporting show be examined and subsequently integrated with and enhanced to drive accuracy – as opposed to creating a new MPG or consumption reporting system. This holds for risk management, crash management, and fleet management (vehicle lifecycle costs).

 Unrealistic Timelines and Deadlines

When considering the project goals, metrics and measurements – make sure the business cycle supports the expected change. For  example if through high performance driving we expect to replace fewer tires and have fewer brake maintenance transactions (or other routine or catastrophic transactions) a complete maintenance lifecycle against control data needs to be evaluated – and this particular metric may take a year, or longer, depending on year make an model.  Installation of technology needs to be considered in the project timeline. The upfront design of the program needs sufficient time before the installation project begins.

 Insufficient resources

And finally, given steps 1-9, it should be apparent that adequate resources from all participants need to be planned for. The one resource that is critical and is sometimes not included is the drivers. A representative driver, a driver committee, the driver union, needs to be a critical participant in the process. Driver buy-in to the program, the benefits, will be a critical success factor.

Price vs. Value Choice

Chances are that you looked at several Telematics companies when considering choosing a solution. Many of the companies had solutions that when properly implemented, you saw the value that they could bring to your company. The main problem was that your company chose a solution based on PRICE and not COST, from a non-local company that offered cheaper monitoring or slightly cheaper hardware. In telematics and the companies that represent solutions, you definitely get what you pay for. If your goal as a company is to gain long term benefit from your investment into the technology, when possible, choose a local company that can work closely with you to help you grow and learn how to gain the most profitable ROI from your telematics project. It’s one thing to invest into the technology; it’s another to understand how to really benefit from it.


For more information, contact Vincent Rush of Lynx Telematics at (866) 314-0461 

 For more information on how Lynx Telematics, an OEM located in Cincinnati, Ohio can help your fleet become more operationally efficient or custom design a solution to meet your fleet management needs, contact Vincent Rush at (866) 314-0461

LynxTelematics is an OEM that controls design, engineering, firmware, software development, IT support and manufacturing processes of our product, allowing us to produce the highest quality product in our industry, while offering our customers competitive pricing.

As your partner, we provide ongoing training and support to insure that the product is properly sold to the end user, maximizing the re-sellers profitability.

As one of the pioneers in telematics technologies, Lynx Telematics provides our clients with powerful end-to-end vehicle telematics tools. Our technology offers a real solution that delivers safety, saves money and provides an unprecedented level of peace of mind to our customers. 

Our product, LynxSafe, is the newest and most advanced in-vehicle communication system currently on the market. It combines GPS/satellite and GSM cellular technology to provide users and family members with immediate access to real-time information delivered directly via any internet enabled device including I Phone and Android smart phones.

All of our devices benefit from the innovation of U-Blox technology and a 3D Accelerometer, providing the industry’s most accurate pin point locating technology to within a 3 ft. radius.

Steps 1-10 originally written and posted by David Colman, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development for Green Road Tech. 

Telematics: Not Just for Personal Anymore

While the use of telematics-based insurance to date has primarily been seen in monitoring personal-vehicle use, insurers are increasingly relying on the underwriting tool in the commercial-fleet and trucking industries.

“If I’m doing a risk assessment for an insurance company, a lot of underwriters are looking for some kind of refined [global positioning system],” says Beth Lowrey, senior associate for Mercury Associates Inc.—a Washington D.C.-based management consulting firm for large fleets.

Insurance players on the commercial  side are adopting programs to tap into the wealth of knowledge a telematics system can deliver—and initial data looks very promising for loss ratios, sources say.

“We’ve seen very good improvement in frequency and severity,” says Scott Stevens, vice president of captive and specialty programs at The Hartford, which launched its FleetAheadprogram more than two years ago.

Through a partnership with a telematics service provider (all insurers in this space partner with a provider instead of developing its own device, as in the personal auto insurance market), he adds, the Hartford’s loss-control staff can work with clients to improve loss costs and exposures.

Other insurers are in the process of doing the same. “We are there to work with management in order to tune their ability to improve driver performance,” says Chris Hayes, risk-control director of transportation services from Travelers, which early this year began IntelliDrive Fleet Safety Solutions for commercial lines.

Travelers partners with several telematics providers for the actual numbers. “We do not have any data feed,” explains Beth Tirone, Travelers’ senior director for commercial auto product development. “This is strictly providing services from a risk-control perspective.”

Liberty Mutual, too, is finding value in telematics. The carrier unveiled its Onboard Advisorloss-prevention and risk-management services exclusively through Liberty Mutual Agency Corporation regional companies in 2010 to small and medium-sized fleets. The insurer uses statistics from its approved telematics partners to create a score used for pricing at the time of renewal.

Onboard Advisor Program Manager Chris Carver says Liberty Mutual in the past six months has been contacted by several telematics providers wishing to partner up.

“The industry is growing fast,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity for businesses that now starting to grow [after the economic downturn]. Owners can stay in control of their fleet and control costs.”

After all, telematics is not a one-way street of benefits to the insurer. The insured can improve safety, fuel use, customer satisfaction and prevent or limit losses from theft.

There is enough data—or at least sufficient anecdotal evidence—to support the technology investment, which is decreasing as competition increases. Systems can also be leased.

“If you use it and use it right, [you’ll benefit],” Lowrey says. “You’ll see it in your bottom line. And you’ll see it in your insurance premiums.”

The applications are numerous. Fleet owners acting as their own risk managers can track drivers’ locations, monitor a driver’s habits like hard-braking and accelerating, and reduce fuel consumption by looking at the data to notice trends such as the impact of idling, or the use of one route versus another. Carver says owners can cut down on “unnecessary wear-and-tear on their fleet.”

Owners have also reported a reduction in brake-pads costs, Stevens adds, because programs centered on telematics “create better, more safety-conscious drivers.”

The value for insurers extends beyond potential reductions in loss-cost trends and narrowing poor risks. Telematics may also help preserve the exposure base. By cutting down on costs for its insureds, businesses can remain profitable.

For the insurer, information can be provided by some systems to give a much more accurate view of an accident. Was the traffic light green or red? How fast was the driver going?

Insurers say information yielded from telematics systems can also help cut down on fraud. Using data on such critical factors as speed, claims professionals can determine whether an alleged injury was in fact possible.

The industry appears to have assuaged the fear of Big Brother. Owners and operators are taking to the idea, and insurers with telematics-based programs are sticking by buyers’ sides to assist in rolling out systems and fostering an environment of constant improvement rather than conveying a dark cloud of constant criticism. 

“This doesn’t work if management isn’t fully engaged,” says Hayes. “We’re looking to foster owners as coaches while we get them comfortable with the idea and our involvement.”

More insurers relying on data-gathering tools in the commercial-fleet, trucking industries

BY CHAD HEMENWAY, PROPERTYCASUALTY360.COM

April 6, 2012 

Lowrey, who also owns a risk-management and consulting service for small and medium fleets, says drivers’ unions have voiced concerns as telematics gain popularity, but the fact is, “Owners are looking at performance anyway,” implying that drivers would still be watched closely regardless of the new technology.

Fleet owners typically pitch the idea to drivers by focusing on safety and job security.

“’If you get hijacked, we want to know—we want to know where to look for you,’” Lowrey says owners will say to drivers. “But the majority of drivers have been around and they don’t worry about it, so long as it doesn’t seem like you’re nitpicking them to death.” 

Industry-wide, telematics usage remains in its infancy. Solid favorable loss-cost trends for the industry may not be readily available and use may be limited to big insurance brands but, according to a report by research and consulting firm Celent, telematics use is growing and “not going away any time soon.”  

Critics also say telematics could “cannibalize” books of business, based on the idea that policies could be written at lower premiums based on more hard data. Yet that same data would also help better calculate risks, Celent adds, noting it “would be better to cannibalize one’s own book than watch someone else do it.”