SAN DIEGO - DriveCam Inc. has launched a service that provides fleets with timely, on-going and third-party assessments of risky driving behavior.

Called Managed Services, the new unit offers turnkey implementation and event analysis using the DriveCam in-vehicle video system.

The service includes not only the video camera and recording system but also playback software and expert analysis to identify and eliminate behaviors that are known to increase the likelihood of a collision. The service is provided for a per-vehicle monthly fee and there is no up-front investment, says the company.

According to DriveCam, the system makes it easy for fleets to try, buy and reap the benefits of reduced damage claims from improved driving behavior.

"Consistent driver feedback is the answer to lowering fleet operating costs and improving safety," said Bruce Moeller, DriveCam president and CEO. "With the introduction of Managed Services, our goal is to make it easy for fleets to immediately secure the bottom-line benefits of improved driving behavior. Our trained experts know what to look for and what works to prevent future incidents. We are so confident that it will lower both frequency and severity of claims and accident investigation costs by at least 30 percent, we guarantee the results."

Driving events captured by a DriveCam video recorder installed in a vehicle are downloaded and sent via the Internet to DriveCam Managed Services where they are reviewed and analyzed. Professionals trained in driver behavior analysis review driving events triggered by risky driving or collisions.

The reviewers provide reports to fleet supervisors on areas for driver improvement and coaching. This consistent and objective approach ensures that risky behaviors are quickly identified and improved, resulting in far fewer incidents and dramatically lower damage and claims, says DriveCam.

"The reviewers at DriveCam have the expertise in driving behavior to recognize problems, identify root cause and provide guidelines for driver counseling," said the director of risk management for a San Diego-based company that pilot tested the system. "Our drivers respond better with objective feedback. The reports provided by DriveCam give me the ability to quickly evaluate the program at different locations and gauge the effectiveness. We have been using DriveCam Managed Services for several months and have significantly reduced both the frequency and severity of incidents."

DriveCam Managed Services is being marketed to fleets with more than 30 vehicles. The monthly per-vehicle fee includes on-going event reviews, all hardware and software upgrades, wireless or wired DriveCam event recorder, and five-year contract.

For clients that have an in-house professional fleet safety staff to download, review and analyze events, DriveCam offers what it calls an Enterprise Edition. Customers can switch between service levels at any time, depending on their needs.