Distracted driving is a very common occurrence, one that most people have been guilty of at some point in their lives. Who among us can say that they have never sent a text from behind the wheel, or have not eaten while driving during a busy day running errands? Although these commonplace activities may seem insignificant, they can have serious consequences. Did you know that distracted driving causes over 3,000 fatalities a year?[1]
If you have ever used your phone, ate a snack, had a sip of water, or adjusted the radio while driving a short distance, imagine how much harder it must be to avoid these activities for someone who spends their entire workday driving a vehicle. The longer a person is in their vehicle, the more opportunity there is for distraction. So, how can fleets help keep professional drivers—and in turn, everyone on the road—safer?
For many fleets, the answer to improving driver safety is to use advanced technology, such as dash cams powered with machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI).*
What is MV+AI, and what does it do?
MV+AI is the combination of machine vision (MV), which recognizes driver behaviors, and artificial intelligence (AI), which interprets what those behaviors mean. The Surfsight™ dash cam uses proprietary MV+AI technology from Lytx® to detect a variety of vehicle movements and driver behaviors such as cell phone use, not wearing a seatbelt, smoking, eating, drinking, taking eyes off the road, and other risky behaviors that could lead to an incident.
Data is collected and analyzed in real time on the device. If certain conditions are met and its level of confidence that a driver is engaging in risky behavior is high enough, the device will trigger an alert* for the driver. This gives the driver the opportunity to recognize and correct their behavior before an incident occurs. If the risk persists, the camera captures the images and video, and can notify the fleet manager of the event.
How MV+AI helps mitigate distracted driving:
- Detects risky behavior and sends audio alert to warn a driver to course correct
- Accurately identifies risks and alerts fleet managers to review incidents
- Provides video of behaviors that can be used to coach drivers
How MV+AI can protect drivers
Real-time alerts signal drivers so they can correct their behavior before an incident occurs. Over time, these continual reinforcements will help them become more aware of their driving behaviors to help them form better habits and become safer drivers.
Video evidence taken by the dash cam can help drivers in many ways. It can be used to exonerate drivers in the case of false claims. It can also be used by management to create custom coaching plans based on a driver’s unique habits and needs. MV+AI can support drivers to become safer and better at their job, which benefits them, the company, and the other vehicles on the road.
How MV+AI can protect companies
Distracted driving can be costly for companies, with $60 billion spent annually[2] on vehicle repair, litigation fees, settlements, and rising insurance costs. Not only that, but employees involved in incidents account for 1.6 million workdays missed each year. Dash cams powered with MV+AI provide invaluable benefits to fleet managers, including real-time video visibility into vehicles and drivers. Video footage can be used to protect the company from litigation and be used as relatable examples during driver training.
Using MV+AI to address distracted driving behaviors and take measures to prevent them before they occur can help fleets:
- Improve driver safety
- Increase fleet efficiency
- Protect company reputation
- Decrease liability and overall costs
How MV+AI can protect everyone on the road
Distracted driving leads to an estimated 400,000 injuries per year,[3] which means many people are affected by the risky behavior of other drivers. This kind of behavior is reduced in fleets that proactively use dash cams powered with MV+AI to help keep not only their drivers, but also the general public, safer on the road. That is a win for everyone!
Ready to learn more about how MV+AI can help your fleet? Contact us today!
*Lytx MV+AI Technology is a driver aid only. Drivers should never wait for a warning before taking measures to avoid an accident. Lytx MV+AI distraction detection and alerting technology is designed to respect driver privacy because it does not collect, store or use any biometric identifiers or biometric information (i.e., scans of facial geometry) to detect distracted driving behaviors. See www.lytx.com/en-us/driver-information.
2: http://docplayer.net/1217790-Guidelines-for-employers-to-reduce-motor-vehicle-crashes.html