Driver safety program

• US 20060078853A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gold Cross Benefits Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gold Cross Safety Corporation
• Inventors: Lanktree, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,695,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/62
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles

Abstract

In a driver training program, a manager conducts an observation drive with a program participant. During the observation drive, the manager observes the participant'"'"'s driving without commenting on the driving. The manager discusses the observations with the participant during the conference, and provides reports to appropriate departments of the company, e.g., human resources, benefits, and fleet maintenance departments. Based on the manager'"'"'s observations during the observation drive and other information regarding driving skills of the participant, a driver training curriculum is designed for the participant. The information regarding driving skills may include: the participant'"'"'s driving record; actual driving information obtained by monitoring driving of the participant with a global positioning system and/or acceleration, braking, and cornering forces sensors; the participant'"'"'s psychological profile; the participant'"'"'s health-related information; and information regarding the participant'"'"'s previous driver training. Future observation drive may be scheduled responsive to the information regarding the participant'"'"'s driving skills.

Claims

1. A driver training program method for improving driving skills and behaviors of a participant, the method comprising:

conducting an observation drive with the participant, wherein the person conducting the observation drive makes observations regarding driving of the participant but does not comment or critique driving skills and behaviors of the participant during the observation drive;

generating an observation drive report comprising observations during the observation drive;

adding information from the observation drive report to a collection of information relating to driver skills and behaviors of the participant;

after the step of adding information from the observation drive report, analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors of the participant to determine a driver training curriculum for the participant.

2. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after completion of the observation drive, conferring with the participant to discuss the observations regarding the driving of the participant without commenting or critiquing the driving skills and behaviors of the participant.

3. A driver training program method according to claim 2, wherein:

the step of conferring further comprises receiving from the participant a list of one or more areas of driving competence in which the performance of the participant can be improved;

the method further comprising;

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding the list of one or more areas of driving competence to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

4. A driver training program method according to claim 3, wherein:

the step of conferring further comprises receiving from the participant a list of one or more lessons that would help the participant to improve driving performance;

the method further comprising;

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding the list of one or more lessons to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

5. A driver training program method according to claim 4, wherein:

the step of conferring further comprises receiving from the participant a list of one or more additional skills that would help the participant to improve driving performance;

the method further comprising;

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding the list of one or more additional skills to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

6. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a psychological profile of the participant; and

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding information from the psychological profile to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

7. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a DISC psychological profile of the participant; and

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding information from the DISC psychological profile to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

8. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring driving of the participant to obtain actual driving information of the participant; and

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding the actual driving information to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

9. A driver training program method according to claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring comprises using a global positioning system to obtain the actual driving information of the participant.

10. A driver training program method according to claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring comprises using a vehicle computer to obtain the actual driving information of the participant.

11. A driver training program method according to claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring comprises using a vehicle computer equipped with an acceleration/braking sensor to obtain the actual driving information of the participant.

12. A driver training program method according to claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring comprises using a vehicle computer equipped with a cornering force sensor to obtain the actual driving information of the participant.

13. A driver training program method according to claim 8, wherein the step of monitoring comprises using a vehicle computer equipped with a speed sensor to obtain the actual driving information of the participant.

14. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining driving record of the participant; and

before the step of analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors, adding information from the driving record to the collection of information relating to the driver skills and behaviors of the participant.

15. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

before the observation drive, examining vehicle used in the observation drive to obtain information regarding safety and mechanical state of the vehicle;

generating a report including the information regarding safety and mechanical state of the vehicle; and

submitting to a vehicle fleet department responsible for maintaining the vehicle the report including the information regarding safety and mechanical state of the vehicle.

16. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a report including information regarding at least one of;

needs of the participant relating to driver skills and behaviors and suspected problems of the participant relating to driver skills and behaviors; and

submitting the report including the information regarding at least one of needs and suspected problems of the participant to a department capable of acting on the information regarding at least one of needs and suspected problems of the participant.

17. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the information relating to driver skills and behaviors of the participant to schedule the next observation drive.

18. A driver training program method according to claim 1, further comprising:

delivering at least a portion of the driver training curriculum to the participant over the Internet.

19. A computer system comprising a memory storing program code instructions and a processor coupled to the memory to-execute the program code instructions, wherein the processor under control of the program code instructions is configured to:

perform a first analysis of information regarding driving skills and behaviors of the participant, wherein the information regarding driving skills and behaviors of the participant comprises information regarding observations taken during a first observation drive with the participant;

based on the first analysis, prescribe a driver education curriculum for the participant; and

deliver at list a portion of the curriculum to the participant over a network.

20. A computer system according to claim 19, wherein the information regarding driving skills and behaviors of the participant comprises actual driving information of the participant.

21. A computer system according to claim 19, wherein the processor under control of the program code instructions is further configured to:

perform a second analysis of the information regarding driving skills and behaviors of the participant to schedule a second observation drive with the participant.