Veolia Transportation announced Thursday that the company will install SmartDrive safety and eco-driving technology in more than 5,000 Veolia Transportation-operated vehicles throughout the U.S.

SmartDrive uses video, audio and ECU-connected vehicle data sensors to detect and record risky driving maneuvers — such as sudden stops, hard cornering, aggressive acceleration, and excessive speed — which results in recommendations that improve safe driving performance.

The SmartDrive recorder system also enables drivers to instantly recognize fuel-wasting maneuvers with in-cab visual driver feedback,  saving significant fuel and reducing carbon emissions. Because the SmartRecorder is connected to the vehicle engine computer, it's possible to measure actual improvement in fuel savings rather than simply providing estimated savings.

“Veolia is committed to helping its clients improve safety and productivity. In fact, we were one of the first transportation companies to use camera technology as part of our safety program,” said Shelly Hall, Veolia’s Vice President of Safety, Transit Division.

“We’re moving to SmartDrive because we want to continue to lead the transportation industry in identifying and encouraging driver safety and, in this era of escalating fuel costs, reducing fuel consumption. The  SmartDrive Safety system equips us with the very latest tools and technology to ensure that we do.”

Following a thorough evaluation and field test of the latest in-vehicle recording technology from multiple vendors, Veolia chose SmartDrive for what Hall described as “its unmatched ability to provide an in-depth understanding of individual and fleet driving risk, while tackling the increasingly important issue of fuel consumption and resulting carbon emissions.”

“SmartDrive Safety is proven to reduce a fleet’s collision frequency by over 60 percent in the first year,” according to SmartDrive President Jason Palmer. “Our ability to capture and identify the broadest range of risky driving behavior allows us to lead the industry in driving down collision frequency. Fleet managers can then act quickly to help their drivers improve performance, thereby reducing incidents and collisions, and protecting drivers on the road."

Veolia will begin installing the SmartRecorder systems in more than 5,000 Veolia-operated vehicles in May. Following this roll-out, the company plans to deploy the video-based safety and eco-driving solution within its entire fleet of Veolia transit.