Temecula, CA Ā November 4th, 2013 – GPS Trackit recently introduced a new Driver Safety Alert that tracks hard turns. Ā Driver Safety Alerts already track and report driving behaviors like rapid acceleration, hard braking, and seatbelt usage. Ā GPS Trackit engineers have now added the ability to identify ā€˜hard turns’ to the alert list.

Driver Safety Alerts are used by businesses across the country to help dispatchers and managers understand how drivers are doing in the field. Ā Businesses ranging from small-to-medium sized service companies to large transportation companies with fleets of hundreds of vehicles are able to help drivers understand the importance of safe driving behaviors.

ā€œDrivers represent their employers to the public,ā€ said Eddie Bermudez, GPS Trackit’s Product Development Manager. Ā ā€œA vehicle that is driven badly or, more to the point, dangerously, does not reflect well on that employer. Ā These alerts notify managers and dispatchers via email or SMS text messages when their drivers are driving in a potentially aggressive manner.ā€

Rapid acceleration and hard braking are indicators of bad driving behaviors that also impact a vehicle’s mileage. Ā Seat belt alerts indicate that the vehicle is moving while the driver’s seat belt is unfastened. Ā Statistics show that wearing a seatbelt dramatically reduces deaths and injuries from collisions.

ā€œHard turns are another driving behavior that puts the driver and vehicle at additional risk,ā€ continued Bermudez. Ā ā€œIt also puts additional wear on a vehicle. Ā We were able to utilize the accelerometer and gyroscope technologies built into the GPS tracking devices in a similar manner to the hard braking alert.ā€

According to the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration’s 2008 report to Congress, ā€˜National Motor Vehicle Causation Crash Survey’, about 36 percent of vehicles involved in collisions were turning or crossing at intersections just prior to the crashes.

ā€œWhen we’re making a turn, we become more vulnerable,ā€ added Bermudez. Ā ā€œClearly in a left turn situation, you’re putting your vehicle in the path of oncoming traffic. Ā But right turns can be hazardous as well to both pedestrians and drivers. Ā Turn too soon and you clip the curb, which doesn’t do much for your wheel alignment. Ā Ā Turn too late and you could end up making a wide turn. Ā If the device on the vehicle transmits a hard turn event, Fleet Manager checks if an alert is configured for that vehicle. Ā If so, it sends the time, date, and location information to the email and/or text recipients.ā€

About GPS Trackit

Established in 1999, GPS Trackit is a leading North American supplier of GPS tracking and location-based services. Ā Located in Southern California, GPS Trackit is dedicated to providing the most innovative, cutting-edge GPS technology backed by the best customer service in the industry today.