Motive Launches Service to Accelerate Aid for Truck Drivers

The new “First Responder” feature accelerates emergency assistance following severe accidents.

Motive’s VP of Product, Abhishek Gupta, introduced the “First Responder” feature, which shortens the time between 911 verification of an accident and dispatching emergency responders. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)

Nashville, Tennessee – In-vehicle technology provider Motive has launched a first responder service to accelerate life-saving assistance for commercial truck drivers in severe accidents.

This new feature, called “First Responder,” ensures rapid assistance for drivers by quickly sharing critical information with emergency services when a collision is detected by the Motive system.

In situations where every minute can be crucial, this new service reduces the time required to verify an accident through 911 and dispatch emergency responders.

Motive developed “First Responder” in collaboration with RapidSOS, a company that transmits emergency safety data from connected devices and sensors to public safety agencies.

“First Responder is transforming how we support drivers during collisions and will save lives,” said Motive co-founder and CEO Shoaib Makani. “By reducing the time needed for 911 verification of an accident and dispatching aid, we are taking a critical step towards achieving zero harm and zero preventable incidents, making every person on the road safer.”

The company launched the “First Responder” service at a press conference held during the American Trucking Associations’ 2024 Management Conference & Exhibition on October 13.

Motive stated that its in-vehicle technology uses AI to detect over 99% of severe collisions within seconds. The company reviews video footage for each safety event to eliminate false positives, ensuring only verified incidents trigger alerts.

Now, the “First Responder” feature enhances emergency response speed and accuracy by directly sending data such as vehicle location, driver name, vehicle make and model, and license plate number to first responders.

The service also provides real-time updates to safety managers so they know that emergency responders have been notified and offers a priority phone number for customers to immediately contact the nearest emergency dispatcher.

Jared Whitson, Safety Director at Bennett Family of Cos., said Motive’s AI-driven collision detection and “First Responder” will provide drivers with “necessary safety protection.”

“I cannot overemphasize the importance of rapidly initiating emergency response technology,” Whitson stated. “The preservation of life and prevention of further injury is measured in seconds, not minutes.”

Bennett Company, headquartered in McDonough, Georgia, ranks 39th among the largest carriers in North America.

Furthermore, Motive presented new insights into U.S. road safety based on accident data from over 120,000 users.

The company found that holiday seasons are particularly dangerous, with commercial truck accidents on Christmas Day being 32% higher than other times in December and speeding incidents increasing by 10% the week before Christmas.

Christmas is the most accident-prone holiday in the U.S., followed by Martin Luther King Jr. Day, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving.

Motive also discovered that commercial vehicle accidents in the U.S. most commonly occur between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Formerly known as KeepTruckin, Motive offers a range of technology and services for fleet management aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance, including electronic logging devices, fleet tracking, driver safety and equipment monitoring, dashcams, and AI-enabled fatigue detection and forward collision warning systems.

Source: Transport Topics