SmartDrive Systems Inc has hired "Training Alternatives Group" (TAG) founder Pete Van Beek, bolstering and solidifying SmartDrive's industry-leading fleet vehicle safety improvement service. Van Beek will be SmartDrive's Director of Safety & Driver Training, offering the highest-quality training, learning resources and incentives to educate drivers to drive more safely and productively. SmartDrive will fully utilize Van Beek's TAG safety team & resources to spear-head client support, driver oversight, client consultations, driver safety training and fleet safety reviews, on-site and as needed. Van Beek offers 25 years of transportation safety and security experience, including a driver safety program for Coach USA, focusing on DOT driver physical qualification requirements. "SmartDrive is excited to have Pete Van Beek as part of our safety improvement program," says Andrew Nickerson, Vice President of SmartDrive's Business Development. "Pete's expertise in driver training will close the driver behavioral modification loop by helping companies keep their people safe on the nation's roads. What's more, through Pete, SmartDrive can be even more pro-active in preventing risky, dangerous driving and costly crashes." Van Beek brings to SmartDrive an industry-acclaimed driver safety course and interactive video which covers defensive driving techniques, strategies for hazardous driving environments and the effects of drugs and alcohol on driving safety. Drivers gain practical knowledge and skills that prepare them to respond effectively to unpredictable or dangerous situations. Van Beek is based in the Houston area and will merge forces with the SmartDrive offices already located in the Lone Star state. SmartDrive Systems world headquarters is located in San Diego, California; SmartDrive also has offices in Europe. SmartDrive is a leader in driver risk management systems and services, offering high-tech video-capture hardware and professional incident review. The SmartDrive service captures video events of erratic driving and speeding and then professionally reviews and rates these events for subsequent driver counseling. All video and diagnostic data can be viewed by fleet/risk/safety managers by simply logging on to the SmartDrive secure website. The SmartDrive in-vehicle video device is mounted behind the rearview mirror and is continuously recording, so "events"---such as a tailgating, swerving, speeding, or a collision---are saved 15 seconds before the event and 15 seconds after it. For more information, please visit the SmartDrive Web site: www.SmartDrive.net.