Independent
Witness, Inc. to Provide Incident Data Recorders to NASCAR
Black Box Technology Which Helps Companies Fight Soft Tissue Fraud Will
Be a Catalyst for Improving Racing Safety
SALT
LAKE CITY, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Witness, Inc. (IWI),
a leading developer and manufacturer of patented, portable, long-life
battery-powered Incident Data Recorders (IDR) commonly referred to as
``black boxes,'' today announced that the National Association for Stock
Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has named the Company as its Exclusive IDR
Provider.
Starting with the
2002 season, IWI's IDR, called ``The Witness,'' will be installed in
all vehicles in NASCAR's Winston Cup, NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National
Division and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Implementation of The Witness
is latest in a series of competitive safety initiatives to be introduced
by NASCAR.
``This is a significant
step for NASCAR, and it is also a scientific step,'' said George Pyne,
Senior Vice President, NASCAR. ``It reflects our ongoing commitment
to creating a safer racing environment for drivers. We also are excited
about the technology and the overall quality of the recorders that IWI
will provide. Many NASCAR drivers have been so impressed with The Witness,
that they have expressed interest in installing the product in their
personal vehicles.''
How The Witness
Works
The Witness is slightly
smaller than a standard video tape and is installed next to the driver's
seat in NASCAR vehicles. (Installation can be completed in less than
10 minutes.) The Witness monitors a vehicle's motion and, in the event
of impact, records the date, time, direction, impact severity (G-force)
and acceleration profile in three dimensions. The Witness has the ability
to record multiple incidents in the same car (as well as multiple cars)
instantaneously during the same race.
Following an accident,
or at the end of the race, the data recorded by The Witness can be accessed
immediately and exclusively by NASCAR. The information is automatically
added to a proprietary database which will be used by NASCAR technologists
to design safer cars as well as more effective safety devices.
``IWI exceeded our
stringent requirements during extensive testing both on and off the
track. The portability and long-life battery power makes The Witness
very easy to install and remove at the track without requiring any wired
interface with NASCAR vehicles,'' said Pyne. ``The Witness will be a
catalyst for creating a safer environment for NASCAR drivers by providing
real time data which will become a powerful tool in NASCAR's new state-of-the
art technology center at Conover, North Carolina.''
Founded in 1998,
IWI develops and manufactures IDRs, which provide an accurate medium
for recording motion and impact severity associated with an accident
-- serving as an ``Independent Witness.'' IWI's products have helped
companies around the country greatly reduce fraudulent workers compensation,
property and soft tissue injury claims through providing hard evidence
and data to substantiate the various forces related to impact.
``The Company was
founded initially with the mission to equip every passenger car in America
with an IDR as a means for improving safety and fighting fraud -- now
our products serve a vast array of industries,'' said Luther Perkins,
Chief Executive Officer, IWI. ``We are confident with our products and
very pleased to assist NASCAR with this critical safety initiative.''
In addition to the
automotive industry, IWI offers products for numerous industries including
shipping and handling, rail, seismic and sensitive materials handling/storing.
About Independent
Witness, Inc.
Independent Witness,
Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of patented, portable long-life
battery-powered Incident Data Recorders (IDR), commonly referred to
as ``black boxes.'' The Company is dedicated to securing the assets
of its customers by providing low cost monitoring solutions. For information
about IWI's products, contact Dave P. Clark at 801-866-2255 ext. 221,
or visit http://www.iwiwitness.com
. IWI's press announcements and other company information are available
at http://www.iwiWitness.com/news.html
SOURCE: Independent
Witness, Inc.
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