L.A. paratransit equips fleet with SmartDrive Safety system

Access Services of Los Angeles selected the SmartDrive Safety program for the paratransit program.

The SmartDrive Safety program uses in-vehicle recorders to capture highly detailed video and vehicle data during sudden stops, swerves, collisions and other events. Captured data is downloaded wirelessly and sent to professional safety review analysts who categorize and score the events according to 50-plus safety observations. Fleet managers then use these results to improve fleet performance and overall driving safety.

Access Services provides transportation services to more than 90,000 disabled riders annually throughout Los Angeles County. The Access transportation service includes nearly 550 vans and mini-buses and 1,200 drivers, serving a 1,950-square-mile metropolitan area.

"Our mission at Access Services is to deliver our special-needs passengers safely to their destination. By improving performance and overall safety through video event recording and coaching, we can lower our accident rates and vehicle down time — helping us fulfill that mission," Access Services Fleet Manager Rick Streiff said.

"Since the SmartDrive Safety recorder provides a broad view of the vehicle interior, the system also can help Access improve rider safety by alerting Access personnel to passenger safety concerns, such as not wearing seat belts correctly. Additionally, the event recorder is a valuable tool in documenting traffic incidents, helping to quickly and accurately resolve claims," Streiff added.