October 30, 2013 - Jersey City Medical Center Uses Driver Behavior Modification Technology to Prevent Ambulance Crashes and Improve Safety
MEDIA CONTACT: |
Mark Rabson |
JERSEY CITY MEDICAL CENTER USES ZOLL DRIVER BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT AMBULANCE CRASHES AND IMPROVE SAFETY FOR THE COMMUNITY
October 30, 2013—JERSEY CITY, N.J.—Ambulance crashes have become an increasing source of public concern. There are an estimated 10,000 ambulance crashes per year; one crash every 2 hours. Vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among EMS personnel. An accident affects first responders, patients, and members of the community.
Jersey City Medical Center EMS (JCMS EMS) services Hudson County, the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated with a high volume of pedestrians. To mitigate safety risks, JCMS EMS has deployed on-board safety technology that modifies driver behavior and provides real-time feedback alerting the drivers of dangerous driving habits. The goal is to instill a culture of safety among staff and the community, reducing the likelihood of a crash.
The Road Safety® system from ZOLL Medical Corporation─much like an electronic co-pilot–measures multiple inputs including speed, braking, and G Forces on turns. If a driver, for example, is applying brakes too harshly, taking turns too severely, or exceeding pre-determined speed limits, audible tones will alert the driver to take corrective action. JCMS EMS has Road Safety units installed in 45 vehicles and since the implementation in 2007, there have been significant reductions in the number and severity of accidents.
According to Robert Luckritz, Director of Emergency Medical Services at Jersey City Medical Center, his department invested in Road Safety because the immediate feedback allows his drivers to correct driving behavior that could result in a crash.
“Road Safety creates a safe driving environment, protecting crews and the community and allowing for better patient care and outcomes,” Luckritz said. “The program allows us to clearly identify individual driver behavior that falls outside of established safety standards to support employee incentive and corrective programs.”
”Unlike other systems that rely on post-event analysis as a reactive approach, Road Safety’s real-time audible feedback cautions the driver as he approaches the safety threshold, allowing sufficient time to take corrective action before a crash might occur,” said Matt Pesce, VP of Marketing and Product Strategy, Data Management Products for ZOLL. “Behavior modification training has proven to be the most effective method in reducing aggressive driving, which is the key to building a culture of safety.”
About JCMS EMS
JCMC EMS provides services for approximately 600,000 citizens and responds to over 90,000 incidents annually. The service is a data-driven organization that relies on technology to enhance its performance in providing EMS to the residents and visitors of Jersey City and Hudson County. This technology has enabled JCMC EMS to have some of the best response times while ensuring the safety of the EMS crews, the patients, and the public that it serves. JCMC EMS recently celebrated its 130th anniversary of providing EMS in Jersey City.