"Zero Accidents" as the Corporate Standard: Realizing a Safe and Secure Car Society Through the Power of Technology.

Our company endorses April Dream, a project that aims to make April 1st a day for companies to announce their dreams.

This press release represents the dream of Tokai Rika Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Oguchi-cho, Niwa-gun, Aichi Prefecture).

As an automotive parts manufacturer that has long faced the challenge of "safety," we are promoting the DX of corporate safe driving management through the provision of our company vehicle management system, "Bqey." Our dream is to prevent the risk of "traffic accidents" through the power of technology and create a society where all companies can operate with complete confidence in safety and security.

## From Physical Restrictions on Drunk Driving to Managing "Precursors" Through Data Utilization

Until now, we have promoted the establishment of an environment where "you cannot drive if you drink" by using digital keys and alcohol interlocks, which restrict vehicle unlocking and engine starting if alcohol is detected. This system, which controls the vehicle when alcohol exceeding the standard value is detected, is steadily being implemented as the "last bastion" for corporate compliance.

However, drunk driving is not the only cause of traffic accidents. Speeding, sudden braking, distracted driving... How can we identify the "unconscious near misses" lurking in daily operations and prevent them from leading to serious accidents? We are now expanding our challenge beyond physical restrictions on drunk driving to "preventing risks through data" proactively.

## To Prevent One Serious Accident, Address 300 "Invisible Near Misses"

In the world of safety management, there is "Heinrich's Law." This law states that behind one serious accident, there are 29 minor accidents, and beneath those, 300 "near misses" (unconscious dangerous driving behaviors) are hidden. To achieve zero serious accidents, the key is not only to address the accidents themselves, which are just the tip of the iceberg, but also to proactively tackle the 300 near misses submerged beneath the surface.

However, the biggest challenge in many workplaces is that these 300 near misses are "invisible." Even drivers themselves unconsciously overlook them, making it extremely difficult for managers to detect their signs. Even if they want to take countermeasures, the underlying data does not exist. This is a critical issue facing current safe driving management.

## Beyond "Visualization": A System That Enables Managers to Take Action Without Hesitation

We are now accelerating the creation of a system that visualizes these "invisible risks" through multi-faceted data and reliably leads to accident reduction.

We believe that simply collecting and "visualizing" driving data is not enough to nip serious accidents in the bud. It is necessary to cover both the perspective of the "environment" – whether operations are conducted smoothly and without undue stress – and the "moment-by-moment" perspective – whether individual driving behaviors pose a risk.

- **Pursuit of Stress-Free Operations:** Overly tight schedules and insufficient breaks unconsciously lead to a lack of concentration, causing accidents. Understanding whether operations are proceeding as planned and if adequate rest is being taken, and how to support an environment where drivers can take the wheel in perfect physical and mental condition, is a crucial theme we must address.
- **Challenge to Real-time Detection of Driving Behavior:** Detecting dangerous driving (such as sudden acceleration, sudden braking, speeding) that could directly lead to serious accidents and immediately sharing it with managers. We aim to build a system that visualizes the "current" situation on site and provides judgment materials for delivering appropriate advice.
- **Approach to Data-Driven Educational Support:** An environment where managers do not hesitate about "when, where, and what to instruct" by utilizing scoring and driving history. We envision a future where data serves as a catalyst for dialogue, raising the overall safety awareness of the organization.

We aim to complete a "mechanism to prevent accidents" that includes not just the introduction of tools, but also a support system for operations that enables management to maximize the utilization of this data.

## Tokai Rika Aims to Foster a "Safety Culture" in All Companies

Our dream is for this vehicle management system to transcend being merely a management tool and become an infrastructure that fosters a "safety culture" in all companies.

If a world comes where one can be confident that "accidents cannot happen because the system is in place," managers can send employees off with peace of mind, and drivers can take the wheel with pride.

We will integrate our "monozukuri" (manufacturing) DNA as an automotive parts manufacturer with the power of "kotozukuri" (service/experience creation) through SaaS, to earnestly create a professional car society where the term "traffic accident" becomes a thing of the past.

"April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies announce their dreams they wish to achieve on April 1st. We are seriously committed to realizing this dream.

[Company URLs]
Tokai Rika Co., Ltd.: https://www.tokai-rika.co.jp/
Company Vehicle Management System Bqey: https://bqey.com/