Iteris, Inc., a subsidiary of Odetics, Inc., announced that Logex Corp., a cryogenic liquid and compressed gases transportation company based in Orange, Calif., has purchased 38 trucks with specifications that include the installation of AutoVue, Iteris' Lane Departure Warning technology. According to the company, the AutoVue Lane Departure Warning System was developed by Iteris to address the nation's single largest cause of highway fatalities - unintended lane and road departures caused by drowsy or inattentive drivers. The Lane Departure Warning System will be installed in Logex's new trucks at International Truck and Engine Corp.'s Factory Modification Center in Chatham, Ontario and Escobedo, Mexico. All Logex trucks installed with Iteris' Lane Departure Warning technology will be on the road by late August. "At Logex, operating safely and reducing accidents is a high priority and the introduction of this advanced safety technology into our fleet is another element in our drive for zero accident performance. As a dedicated carrier to the industrial gases companies, we want to provide to our customers the safest transportation mode available to them in the market place. The driver fatigue factor in tanker rollovers is a major concern for the trucking industry in general, and by implementing this technology I believe it will give us another level of prevention," said Tom Rule, vice president of operations and sales, Logex Corp. and former national manager of trucking operations, Praxair, Inc. "Iteris' Lane Guidance technology has great potential to improve fleet safety in the trucking industry, and I believe it's the most cost-effective safety device available to trucking companies today." The company says the AutoVue Lane Departure Warning System uses a windshield-mounted camera that tracks the lane markings and "virtually" provides the functionality of rumble strips anywhere there are lane markings. Using image recognition software and proprietary algorithms, the system monitors the relative position of the truck and when it unintentionally crosses the lane markings, the unit automatically emits a distinctive rumble strip sound on the right or left side depending on the direction of travel, alerting the driver to make a correction. Use of the truck's turn signals automatically overrides the system, which helps promote the use of turn signals. According to the Federal Highway Administration and the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, rumble strips on the outside of the road have been proven to reduce lane and road departure accidents by 30-70 percent. Iteris' Lane Departure Warning System provides truck drivers with 'virtual' rumble strips on every lane of every road, and on both sides of the vehicle. The decision by Logex to specify Iteris' Lane Guidance technology on its new truck purchases came after the company's recent evaluation of new safety technologies and equipment, which demonstrated the potential this feature can have on improving the safety of its fleet. "Safety remains a top priority with the world's trucking companies and truck manufacturers, and Iteris is dedicated to developing advanced features that will enhance the safe operation of truck fleets everywhere," said Bill Patrolia, director of sales for the North American truck market for Iteris. "We value both Logex's decision to order the system and International's decision to install our Lane Departure Warning technology in its trucks and we are confident it will play a significant role in enhancing its customer's safety record and improving their bottom line." According to the company, Iteris' Lane Departure Warning technology has been successful in the European commercial truck market since 2000 when Mercedes began installing the system in its Actros trucks. MAN Trucks, also based in Europe, now offers the Iteris technology as optional equipment on its new trucks. In the U.S., Freightliner, LLC, now offers Iteris' Lane Departure Warning technology as a factory-installed option on its Century Class S/T, Columbia and Argosy models. About Iteris, Inc.
Iteris, Inc., a subsidiary of Odetics, Inc., says it is the technology leader in Systems and Sensors that optimize the flow of traffic and enhance driver safety. Iteris has combined outdoor image processing, traffic engineering, and information technology to offer a broad range of transportation and safety solutions. If you are interested in viewing more information on Iteris, please visit the website at www.iteris.com. About Odetics
Odetics products address the management needs of the transportation, defense, and security industries. Odetics says it is a market leader for video-based sensors used for surface transportation and is a developer of integrated systems for facility security and trace detection of dangerous chemicals and explosives. Odetics is headquartered in Anaheim, California. Investors are encouraged to contact 714.774.5000, or at www.odetics.com.