NATSO Foundation Addresses Safety of Roadside Technicians
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The NATSO Foundation entered into a strategic partnership with HAAS Alert in order to enhance the safety of roadside service technicians who support and repair commercial vehicles when they need to be serviced along the interstate highway system.
The launch of the initiative coincides with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's annual Operation Safe Driver Week.
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HAAS Alert's Safety Cloud is the largest connected vehicle and digital alert system in the United States and is currently deployed across numerous public safety fleets and tow services. The vehicle-to-everything platform broadcasts real-time alerts from equipped service vehicles to approaching automobile drivers through in-dash infotainment systems and navigation apps.
These notifications encourage drivers to slow down and move over, and they arrive up to 30 seconds prior to the driver approaching an incident. According to the company, the advanced warning technology has been found to decrease collision risk by up to 90 percent.
"NATSO and the NATSO Foundation are excited to partner with HAAS Alert on this important safety initiative," said Lisa Mullings, NATSO Foundation president. "HAAS Alert's commitment to making roads safer with real-time digital alerts can drastically improve the working conditions for our mobile mechanics and road assist service providers."
The NATSO Foundation's latest partnership is part of a multipronged initiative designed to address critical safety issues for truck repair providers. NATSO's member locations have more than 800 repair shops and, according to the organization, are almost always the first call that commercial truck drivers make when their trucks need to be serviced out on the road.
"The Foundation's longstanding dedication to the truck stop and travel center community aligns with our mission to protect roadside workers across the nation," said Cory Hohs, HAAS Alert CEO. "By integrating Safety Cloud with roadside assistance services for commercial vehicles, we're enabling safer roads."
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HAAS Alert makes roads and communities safer by delivering digital alerts from emergency response, municipal and private fleets, work zones, and connected infrastructure to nearby drivers through its vehicle communication platform Safety Cloud.
The NATSO Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, the trade association for the American travel plaza and truckstop industry.