Submitted by Ryan Phillips, Safety Coordinator – City of Ocala
Description of Program:
- The overall goal of the Drivecam program is to reduce the frequency and severity of vehicle accidents by reinforcing positive driving behaviors. We do this by identifying, recognizing, and thanking those drivers who safely operate vehicles and the coaches who are effectively managing unsafe driving behaviors.
- Every department in Ocala except our police department participate in the Drivecam program:
- Ocala Fire Rescue
- Ocala Electric Utility
- Fleet
- Public Works
- Water Resources
- Rec and Parks
- HR / Risk Management
- Customer Service Center
- Growth Management
- Engineering
- Ocala Fiber Network
- Evaluation period for Driver Recognition Program = every six months (twice a year). Recognition events held in November and May.
- Coachable event – Any unsafe or risky driving behavior, i.e., speeding, seat-belts, cell phone usage, following distance
- Triggered event – An event which causes event recorder to activate, but no coachable event is observed
- Disqualifying events
- Employees who get coached cannot participate in recognition event.
- Recognition levels
- Platinum – 24 months no incidents or coachable events
- Gold – 18 months no incidents or coachable events
- Silver – 12 months no incidents or coachable events
- Bronze – 6 months no incidents or coachable events
- Recognized drivers get breakfast or lunch, safety awards, and drawings for prizes based on recognition level.
- Drivecam event data
- When event is triggered, i.e., speed threshold, rough/ uneven surface, hard breaking, event recorder activates and shows 8 seconds prior to event trigger and 4 seconds after.
- Drivecam provides real-time geolocation of City fleet vehicles.
- How effective is the program?
- Since my start with the City in 2019, I have seen a positive impact in lower accidents/incidents and improved driver accountability.
- Since the program was introduced in 2017, the City of Ocala has seen fewer vehicle accident claims and better driving behaviors.
To learn more on Lytx DriveCam, please visit their website at https://www.lytx.com/en-us/fleet-management/drivecam.