THORNHILL, ON, Sept. 27, 2018 /CNW/ – New predictive technology, created in-house at CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) can now predict the likelihood of a roadside event occurring in a specific geographic area, and send a truck to that area before a breakdown occurs.
“By anticipating the type of services required for a roadside event, we can use our road service vehicles wisely and position them where they are needed,” says Jay Woo, CEO, CAA SCO. “CAA is committed to rescuing people as quickly and safely as possible and this new predictive dispatch technology takes our trusted roadside service to the next level.”
CAA’s new Gen 2 predictive technology gets the right truck, to the right place, at the right time. Gen 2 is a proprietary machine-learning algorithm that leverages data from 115 years of roadside assistance service. It layers on weather and humidity indicators, along with real-time traffic and GPS information to predict roadside needs.
“We are always focused on how we can better keep our members safe, and technological innovation is a key part of that,” adds Woo. “This new system doesn’t mean our service will be perfect, but it does mean that we can more accurately anticipate and respond to members needs.”
Gen 2 was developed in-house by CAA in late 2017 and piloted in the London area in January 2018. Initial results during the pilot period showed a promising reduction in the average time of arrival for roadside service vehicles.
CAA SCO was able to rescue members an average of 11 minutes faster during the summer of 2018, when compared to the summer months of 2017. The service improvement is directly tied to the roll out of CAA’s new predictive technology. The system learns over time, so CAA SCO expects average wait times will continue to improve.
The technology has already garnered interest from roadside assistance clubs from around the world. CAA Gen 2 is currently being operationalized across CAA SCO’s territory.
About CAA South Central Ontario
As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and government to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.
SOURCE CAA South Central Ontario
