[2] SmartDrive Systems was founded in 2005 in San Diego by James Plante, an automotive entrepreneur and Andrew Nickerson, a telematics executive.

[11] In June, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority selected SmartDrive's systems for the city's bus and rail fleets.

[13] In September, development partner Transdev North America announced they were deploying SmartDrive Rail on the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar fleet, which is managed by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.

[14] In October, the company introduced SmartDrive SmartIQ, a data analysis tool that allows fleet operators to study safe driving behavior.

[19] In October, the company launched the SmartSense suite of sensors that use a combination of regular and infrared cameras to identify signs of distracted driving.

[23] Also in March, the company released its Transportation Intelligence Platform, which included the SR4 system hub for integrating sensor and camera hardware, along with event analysis software.

[30] In March, braking control supplier WABCO Holdings combined its OnLaneALERT lane departure warning system with the SmartDrive SR4 video telematics platform.

[36] In October 2017, the company announced an additional funding round led by the North American arm of French tire manufacturer Michelin.