Company fleet sees 100% reduction in crashes after implementation of ORIGOSafe technology

Roanoke, VA (PRWEB) April 07, 2015

Keeping Growth, Progress Alive and Safe at Garcia Roofing:

Distracted driving is an increasingly deadly problem on our nations roads and highways. The National Safety Council estimates that at least 24% of all traffic crashes, or 1.3 million accidents per year, involve drivers using cell phones and texting. These cell phone-related crashes result in 3,200 deaths and almost half a million injuries per year.

In addition to the terrible toll in human lives, distracted driving costs society $129 billion per year in property damage and medical care. Companies with service fleets are especially vulnerable to these impacts. Losses ring up quickly when there is a culture of texting while driving among employees. When distracted driving was suspected in several crashes that negatively impacted a growing roofing company in Louisiana, management decided to take action. They didnt want to lose good employees to injury or death, or to discipline and termination. They realized that they would have to actually change the culture that could have been encouraging this dangerous behavior, and what they did, by implementing the ORIGOSafe system, achieved everything they needed, and moreover changed the behavior of their vehicle operators. They became safer drivers, better employees, and embraced it.

What is ORIGOSafe? Put simply, its a technology developed by Virginia-based ORIGO that keeps the cell phone out of the drivers hands while driving and its screen out of his sight. It is a fully integrated, patent pending solution that requires drivers to dock their phone in order to start the vehicle. This ignition interlock system requires the driver to insert their smartphone into the docking station prior to starting the vehicle, effectively making the smartphone a secure password-protected second key. Similar in design to a classic cassette tape deck, the drivers smartphone is connected into the ORIGOSafe port and a green light appears indicating that the vehicle can be started. In addition to charging the smartphone while its plugged in to the ORIGOSafe, the user can still answer voice calls over Bluetooth and have a hands-free call using a headset. However, the ability to send text messages is no longer available since the touchscreen and keyboard are completely covered by the ORIGOSafe. The system is simple to install and manage, giving employers peace of mind knowing that their driver is safe and focused behind the wheel.

The story of Gabriel Garcia and his family business is one of hard-earned success and achieving the American Dream. Gabriel Garcia came to the United States in 1987 following civil strife in his homeland of El Salvador. With the language barrier and other challenges that face most immigrants, securing employment was difficult, in spite of Gabriels work ethic and dedication. In 1992, with a handful of workers, he struck out on his own in Prairieville, Louisiana and grossed $60,000 that year.

By putting his customers first and offering consistent, high-quality installation, Gabriels company grew rapidly at 30% per year over the next four years. By 1996, the company was at a point that professional management was needed to administer operations. Over the succeeding years, product and service offerings were expanded to serve more customers and fulfill more roofing needs throughout the Baton Rouge area. Both roof replacement and sheet metal divisions were added, as well as a sister company focusing exclusively on commercial contracts, Garcia Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. Since 1992, the Garcia business group has been one of the largest roofing contractors in the state of Louisiana, servicing over 1600 customers a year with 25 employees. Garcia Roofing installs a variety of shingle roofs, slate roofs, Spanish tile roofs, and metal roofs.

Rapid growth and success comes with its share of headaches, and with the availability and temptation of new smartphones with text messaging capability, distracted driving became a potential problem for the company. It threatened to erode the hard-won success and profitability of the Garcia enterprises and endanger their valued employees whom the Garcias proudly refer to as their craftsmen and hold in high regard.

In the 12 months before the Garcia business group implemented the ORIGOSafe system, there were more than five (5) vehicle crashes, costing the company in excess of $300,000 in property damage, lost time, insurance and medical costs. Valued employees had to be terminated or disciplined, an unpleasant business for any management team.

Ours is a very socialized business; weve been in business for 23 years, and we have 25 employees, outside salesmen working out of the office almost all the time, often spending their entire day on the road, says Andrew Goldberg, Residential Team Leader for Garcia. Theres lots of contact, and consequently lots of potential distractions, he adds, So we became alarmed when we began to experience a few accidents, all of which seemed to happen in one year.

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Company fleet sees 100% reduction in crashes after implementation of ORIGOSafe technology