Artificial Intelligence Enhancing Commercial Driver Safety, Reducing road fatalities

In the ongoing quest to make our roads safer, Nauto's artificial intelligence (AI) system is making significant strides. The system is designed to anticipate potential hazards and intervene or provide guidance when necessary.

According to Nauto's CEO, Stefan Heck, the system looks about five seconds into the future, assessing the risk level. If the risk is starting to spike, particularly in imminent collision scenarios, the system intervenes. For high-risk but non-imminent situations, the system offers coaching or behavior nudges. Interestingly, the system is more aggressive with warnings when it spots the risk of pedestrians on bicycles, while being more cautious about intervening with smaller risks, such as speeding on a clear road within certain limits.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has reported that Nauto's system had 100% detection of distracted-driver events, day and night, and under 5 seconds, four times faster than previously tested systems. This swift detection and alert system are key factors in reducing road collisions.

Heck also highlighted that while driving has been getting safer over the past few decades, the improvement began to reverse about 10 years ago with the rise of portable digital devices and smartphones contributing to distracted-driving accidents. This underscores the importance of Nauto's system in addressing this growing concern.

The system is not just about collision avoidance. Nauto is looking at installing computer-enabled rear vision to warn drivers about to be rear-ended, giving them enough time to get out of the lane and avoid or reduce damage and injury.

Nauto's focus is on the biggest collision risks to their business, primarily large fleets. The system alerts drivers if they are speeding consistently beyond overtaking, triggering a cabin alarm. This proactive approach is helping to reduce collisions attributed to in-cabin distraction.

The AI-powered driver monitoring and approaching-risk alert systems are being heralded as major weapons in reducing collisions. Work is being conducted on improving the technology's capabilities and exploring new potential areas for improving road safety, such as assessing risk 10 seconds into the future.

However, the threat posed by distraction and inattention is significant. According to Heck, 16% of all collision-related high-injury or property damage are disproportionately caused by distraction and all forms of inattention, with over 80% of those distractions being caused by digital devices.

In the world of insurance, Nauto works closely with insurance companies to help mitigate these risks. The company SmartDrive Systems, another player in this field, developed an AI-based driver monitoring and acceptance risk warning system that was highlighted in the VTTI study for its excellent risk perception and fastest activation of alarms for imminent dangers.

Looking to the future, Jeep is harnessing the popularity of football and golf with a most-seen non-luxury auto TV ad. As for Nauto, they are continuing their work to make our roads safer, particularly for those between the ages of 5 and 55, who are recognised as the most dangerous age group while riding in a motor vehicle.

Within 72 hours of receiving feedback from the system, drivers adjust their own behavior, demonstrating the system's effectiveness in promoting safer driving habits. As the technology continues to evolve and improve, we can look forward to safer roads for all.

Artificial Intelligence Enhancing Commercial Driver Safety, Reducing road fatalities