Distracted driving is responsible for approximately a quarter of all traffic fatalities. As a result, texting while driving is prohibited in more than 47 states in the United States. Below are some of the statistics:
- Road accidents claim the lives of 1.25 million people worldwide (WHO)
- Human mistake is to blame for 95% of all traffic accidents.
- Operator/driver weariness is responsible for 40% of trucking-related incidents (NHTSA)
- While driving, 30% of total driving time is spent on distracting activities (European RSO).
Let’s look at some of the reasons for distracted driving: Visual distraction, manual tasks, and cognitive tasks are all examples of visual distraction. The primary cause of these distractions is that drivers feel they can multitask while driving. Regulatory authorities and OEMs adopt new standards and technologies to address these issues and make the road safer for all drivers. Active and passive driver monitoring are the two types of driver monitoring.
Passive Driver Monitoring
Passive driver monitoring includes front-facing camera-based lane departure warnings and capacitive touch-based steering and braking input data that are processed to determine whether the driver is distracted or alert.
Active Driver Monitoring
Inferring distraction can be done via a camera-based system that recognizes the driver’s face and actively measures numerous facial features such as head attitude, eyelid tracking, and other features.
The driver monitoring solution is an active monitoring system that predicts the driver’s status using a camera and CNN-based tracking features of facial landmarks.
The use of a camera-based driver monitoring system has several advantages.
- To avoid false alarms caused by other systems.
- To comprehend driver alertness in SAE Autonomy levels 2-4,
- To keep an eye on the health and well-being of the drivers at Level 5.
Old cars can sometimes be retrofitted using this mechanism. It may be included as standard equipment in new vehicles. Let’s have a look at some of the DMS’s features: –
Old cars can sometimes be retrofitted using this mechanism. It may be included as standard equipment in new vehicles. Let’s have a look at some of the DMS’s features: –
- Detecting sleep deficiency: Long periods of driving or routine highway driving induce drivers to nod asleep. The driver’s head nods and yawns are seen using CNN models trained using a large user database.
- Distraction alert: Any external or internal distraction (such as using a cell phone or manipulating an entertainment system) forces drivers to shift their attention away from the road and toward the distraction. Looking away or keeping one’s eyes is used to detect this behavior.
- Sleep deprivation prediction: Detecting tiredness is a lot easier than anticipating it. The CNN model detects any lack of attention, which is seen by counting the number of blinks (slow blinks) and yawns.
- Identification and classification of other actions: With passengers in the vehicle, the driver is compelled to engage with them. These features keep an eye on the same. Texting, laughing, talking, drinking, and eating are all examples of actions that have been identified.
Application of Driver Monitoring Solutions-
Diverse monitoring systems assist users in having safer travel; they have a wide range of applications across areas involving human and vehicle interaction. Below is a list of some of them.
- For insurance providers
- For taxi aggregators
- Fleet management companies
- Car rental providers
Driver Monitoring Solution Lowers Insurance Premiums
Insurance accounts for a significant portion of a user’s annual vehicle maintenance costs. On the other hand, users will be enticed to that insurance carrier if they are offered a subsidized payment option for using a technology that provides them with increased safety. It assists the insurance provider in improving the insurance experience while reducing the number of claims.
For Taxi Aggregators, a Driver Monitoring Solution
Both drivers and customers use taxi aggregators’ platforms; most of the time, the drivers are overworked, resulting in risky conditions for passengers who rely on these taxi aggregators daily.
Better Fleet Management with a Driver Monitoring Solution
In general, fleet management companies confront numerous driver and vehicle safety challenges. This directly influences their profits since it raises liability and, as a result, the insurance premiums that must be paid to keep the cars running. Drivers can be readily monitored using the Driver Monitoring Solution. It is possible to combat distracted and irresponsible driving. DMS can also function as a dashcam, recording any misbehavior by the fleet driver or other vehicles on the road that could result in an accident. This aids in the reduction of traffic offenses. Better Fleet Management with a Driver Monitoring Solution.
For car rental companies, a driver monitoring solution is available.
Customers who rent cars come from all walks of life. As a result, different driving styles and habits provide a challenge. Cheaper rent and rental insurance expenses are always preferable from the customer’s standpoint. The use of a driver monitoring solution (with the user’s consent) that monitors the user’s driving style and calculates the price accurately, resulting in a win-win situation for the user and the car rental provider, is an ideal solution for car rentals to address this and attract new customers (by providing lower prices compared to the competition).
Conclusion
OEMs and carmakers are aiming for full autonomy shortly. Consumer acceptance of completely driverless vehicles is still a long way off, so cars with ADAS are installed (Advanced Driver Assist Systems). DMS is a component of ADAS, which will help drivers avoid distractions while driving and make the transition easier.
