Geotab and Together for Safer Roads join forces to raise awareness around safer driving habits

Toronto, ON—10 May 2021—With the United Nations’ 6th annual Global Road Safety Week taking place from 17 May to 23 May, Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, and Together for Safer Roads (TSR), a corporate social accelerator, today announced that the organisations have joined forces to issue a road safety challenge to commercial fleets around the globe. With a goal of reducing the number of speed-related incidents1 amongst Geotab-connected fleets by more than 1%, Geotab and TSR are working together to educate drivers on the simple ways that they can help create safer roads for all.

To create a benchmark for this challenge, Geotab compared speed-related data processed from Geotab-connected vehicles in May 2019 and May 2020 and discovered that the number of speed-related incidents jumped by over 1%. Geotab and TSR are encouraging commercial fleets across the globe to do their part to help reduce speed-related incidents to, at a minimum, return to pre-COVID numbers.

“We know that our customers around the world place the highest priority on the safety of their drivers and communities and are committed to taking action to help curb dangerous driving habits”, said Colin Sutherland, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Geotab. “But today, speeding remains one of the most prevalent factors contributing to crashes and traffic-related deaths globally and with less traffic on the roads, we have seen an increase in driving speeds throughout the course of the pandemic. It is Geotab’s mission to continue helping fleets around the world understand the powerful role that vehicle data can play in driving real change in safe driving behaviours, helping to form lasting habits and in turn, make a lasting difference.”

Telematics technology can provide businesses with vehicle insights relating to speed, harsh braking and accelerating, seat belt usage, technology distraction and more. Leveraging an award-winning open platform solution, Geotab customers can also benefit from additional resources via the Geotab Marketplace which offers customers access to a wide range of safety solutions such as cameras and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), driver coaching tools, collision prevention applications and mobile device safety tools.

Going beyond fleet: Three safe driving tips for every driver

"Together for Safer Roads recognises that road safety is a shared responsibility, and we are proud to join forces with like-minded organisations like Geotab to use the power of technology to achieve safer roads for all", said David Braunstein, President of Together for Safer Roads. "We encourage the entire TSR network, Geotab ecosystem and beyond to do their part to help improve safety on the roads today, tomorrow and well into the future. Road safety is not just a priority for commercial fleets, it should be a priority for every driver around the world."

According to the CDC, 1.35 million people are killed on roadways around the world every year. Geotab and Together for Safer Roads encourage all drivers around the globe to do their part to help create safer streets for all. The companies encourage three simple safe-driving behaviours and habits:

1. Keep your phones down, your eyes up and slow down — especially where people walk, live and play. Paying attention to your surroundings and the speed limit can make a huge difference.
2. Leave at least two seconds of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to give you enough time to stop safely. Remember that heavier vehicles need even more braking distance, so leave extra room when lane changing in front of buses and lorries.
3. Take care of your vehicle with regular maintenance to help ensure that things like tyres, brakes and lights are all in good condition before heading out on the road.

“Whether you drive for work, to work or just need to get from point A to point B, every driver in the world can adopt driving habits that help contribute to safer roads”, adds Sutherland. “Outside of commercial fleets, we encourage every driver to join us in our efforts to safely share the roads and help create safer communities for all.”

Following Road Safety Week, Geotab will make a $25,000 (£17,950) donation to Together for Safer Road's Vision Zero Technology Fund if the 1% goal is met. The Vision Zero Technology Fund is a grant programme dedicated to providing purpose-based, essential service and non-for-profit fleets with key safety technology.

To learn more about Geotab and TSR’s Road Safety Week challenge, including how to get involved, visit: https://www.geotab.com/safetyweek/

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Methodology

1 For the purpose of this campaign, a speeding violation occurs when a driver goes over the posted speed limit by at least 10 km/h or 6.2 mi/h. This data only takes into account speeding incidents on motorways.

About Together for Safer Roads

Together for Safer Roads is a global NGO that works with governments, businesses and community stakeholders on local projects, fleet safety management and technology initiatives to prevent traffic crashes, injuries and deaths. TSR was started in conjunction with the UN’s Decade of Road safety and has partners around the world. TSR’s members include AB InBev, AT&T, CalAmp, Geotab, Lyft, Marsh, PepsiCo, Republic Services, Samsara, UPS and others.

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