Together for Safer Roads partnership sees VisionTrack supporting American events

Following their membership agreement last month, Tunbridge Wells-based AI video telematics and connected fleet data specialist VisionTrack has supported global NGO, Together for Safer Roads at a series of New York events.

These events, including TSR’s annual meeting, saw VisionTrack celebrating commitments to road safety, providing guidance on fleet risk and collision prevention and exploring innovative projects.

Richard Kent, VP of global sales at VisionTrack, said: “As a key partner and the sponsor of TSR’s annual meeting, we share and support their focus on Vision Zero and eliminating the 40,000+ deaths that occur from traffic crashes on US roadways each year.

“Our senior management team spent the week in New York City with TSR to help raise awareness of road safety challenges, discuss industry best practice, and support the Truck of the Future pilot program.”

First up was the Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs summit probing important international obstacles to find collaboration opportunities.

The event attracted some notable speakers, including First Lady Jill Biden, former British PM Tony Blair, New York Mayor Eric Adams, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

TSR ran a roundtable about distracted driving. Richard Kent spoke to delegates on how AI and computer vision reducing death and serious injuries on UK roads. Delegates also heard how this might be translated to similar safety results for US fleets.  

This was followed by the TSR kick-off reception, a prelude to the annual meeting which doubled up as a ceremony for the Annual Global Vision Zero Awards.

At the event, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was awarded the Global Vision Zero Leadership Award from TSR, which was presented by VisionTrack. Adams was recognised for the part he played in securing more than $900 million in funding to tackle the city’s traffic violence crisis and improve the city’s safety, health and green credentials.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Charles Morriston, VisionTrack’s Head of Global Services, described the investment as a “game-changer.” The investment is tackling the crisis head-on and putting New York at the forefront of road safety, nationally and internationally. He added that it will: “Enable the city to introduce unique initiatives that help better protect cyclists, speed up public transportation and reclaim street space for pedestrians.”

Read more - IRIS Software Group named as Core Leader in Cloud HR

A number of panel session on the day saw the involvement of VisionTrack’s Charles Morriston, Richard Kent and Matthew Ison (Head of Sales - North America). These panels covered a number of issues, including distracted driving, DVS standard, the use of technology to cut road deaths and other innovations in road and pedestrian safety and vehicle design.

Other speakers and presenters included former President of General Motors International Steve Kiefer, chairman and founder of the Kiefer Foundation; Al Cook from PepsiCo; Keith Kerman and Eric Richardson from DCAS; and Jim Olsen from Republic Services.

Kat Krieger, CMO of Together for Safer Roads, said: “America’s roads are a dangerous place, and most of us have experienced traffic violence or a near-miss while behind the wheel, on a bicycle or crossing the street.

“TSR’s partnership with VisionTrack will help make professional drivers safer and more productive, but is also a step toward eliminating unnecessary collisions, injuries and fatalities across streets and roads throughout the country.”  

As previously mentioned, last month VisionTrack and TSR signed a membership agreement which will see VisionTrack providing its innovative vehicle camera technology to the Truck of the Future pilot, a TSR-run programme aiming to enhance HGV driver visibility, cutting down on or eliminating collisions between HGVs.

The initiative is built on the success of London’s Direct Vision Standard Scheme which, since being introduced by Transport for London in 2021, has reduced serious injuries by 64 per cent compared to 2017 levels.

Richard Kent said: “Since 2014, more than 45 US communities have committed to Vision Zero, but to date, many cities have yet to replicate the steady reduction in traffic deaths seen on European roads.

“According to figures from NHTSA, US traffic fatalities were actually up more than 10% in 2021, and through the first three months of 2022, were up a further 7%.

“However, there is a continued determination to save lives, and this year alone, New York, Seattle and Phoenix have committed multi-million-dollar funding for road safety, while El Paso and Stamford become the latest cities to adopt Vision Zero.

“We are excited to be working with TSR at such a crucial time for Vision Zero and look forward to contributing to real change within the US.”

As part of its long-term relationship with road safety charity Brake, VisionTrack is sponsoring road safety week, taking place next month from 14-20 November

Read more - Surrey franchisee shortlisted for national award

Featured image credit: Jasper Business Communications/VisionTrack