According to the FMCSA, 87 percent of road accidents are preventable. Through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and predictive analysis, AI dash cams enable fleet managers to have better insight into events on the road and how drivers respond to them.
From sudden swerving to inattentiveness, AI dash cameras capture every minute detail, helping managers understand why and how road accidents occur. This capability allows companies to revamp safety protocols and improve overall compliance.
In this blog, we talk about how AI dash cams operate and how they help companies protect their most significant assets-the fleet vehicles and the drivers.
What is an AI Dashcam?
An AI dash cam is a single or dual-facing camera that monitors and records road conditions and driving behavior. While single-facing cameras effectively analyze events on the road, companies also need to understand what is happening inside the cabin.
Dual-facing dash cams provide insightful data that help fleet managers mitigate in-cab and on-the-road risks. Dashcam technology help keep drivers productive and focused while decreasing maintenance costs and liability. Recorded footage is uploaded to a server, giving the managers the chance to view and provide coaching to drivers with risky driving behaviors.
Events that Trigger AI Dash Cams
AI dash cams are designed to record events that allow operators to view the road and the vehicle from every angle. While some cameras continuously record while the vehicle is operating, specific conditions and driving behavior trigger AI dash cams. Below are some incidents that trigger event-based recordings:
Safety Alerts
Artificial intelligence algorithms help drivers avoid potentially dangerous incidents through in-cab safety notifications. These haptic or audio signals are activated when a driver exhibits the following risky driving behaviors and conditions:
- Unsafe following distance – Through video and motion sensors, AI dash cams monitor the distance between your vehicle and other vehicles on the road. The camera calculates the distance between the two vehicles and issues an audible but non-distracting audio alert when the following distance is too close. This real-time notification enables drivers to correct unsafe driving behavior in real-time. The driver can fall back to a safe distance, preventing collision and injury.
- Harsh driving – Harsh driving is the sudden change in direction or speed of a moving vehicle. It includes hard braking, swerving, and sudden acceleration. These dangerous driving practices can turn into a roadside nightmare that may lead to litigation and legal headaches. Through motion sensors, AI dash cams detect these sudden changes in a vehicle’s movement and record each instance, allowing managers to determine if there is a violation of fleet safety practices. In cases where drivers are at fault, the manager can correct the behavior through one-on-one coaching or provide more training.
- Traffic light violations – Traffic fines are a significant pain point for fleet operators. Although companies often include fines into their operational budget, the accumulated cost can dent a company’s annual financial allocation. Moreover, these violations often have plenty of unnecessary back-office work that can take up a fleet manager’s time. To prevent unwanted costs, companies install AI dash cams that warn drivers when they are nearing the speeding limit or close to committing other traffic violations. The in-cab alerts allow drivers to reduce speed and avoid traffic fines.
- Distracted driving – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving caused the death of 3,142 people in 2020. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), distracted driving can be visual (taking eyes off the road), manual (taking hands off the wheel), or cognitive (taking the focus off driving). So when a driver checks their mobile phone or fiddles with the radio, there is an increased chance of getting into a road accident just by not being in the present moment. Even seasoned drivers may drive distractedly after a long day or when doing nightly deliveries. Dash cam alerts help drivers regain their focus and maintain other drivers’ safety on the road.
Preventable Alerts
One of the benefits of a fleet management system is its ability to monitor and correct driving behavior before an accident can occur. Instead of the typical reactive coaching (i.e., fixing the behavior when a driver has already committed a violation), in-cab alerts coach drivers proactively during critical times. This feature enables them to modify their actions before anything serious happens. The preventable alerts help create a safety culture where drivers are accountable for their actions and correcting them.
Safe Driving Alerts
Safety policies are an excellent way to keep your drivers and others on the road safe. However, most dash cams only recognize negative driving behavior. This can cause tension between fleet managers and drivers since they are only being told what they are doing wrong. Having a fleet management system that recognizes both positive and negative driving behavior helps create a balanced conversation with drivers. Fleet managers can use positive reinforcement to boost drivers’ safety awareness based on the data gathered from AI dash cam recordings. For example, Netradyne’s GreenZone Scores® accurately show how a driver is improving and maintaining their safety skills on the road. This encourages drivers to constantly strive for the best safety score and creates healthy competition among other drivers. By earning DriverStars and getting high GreenZone Scores®, fleet drivers feel more empowered in implementing a safety culture in their team.
Using the AI Captured Video
Using AI dash cams can help significantly reduce a company’s operational costs. By providing real-time data on how drivers behave on the road, dashcams help fleet managers identify potential issues and address them before a serious violation occurs.
During accidents, dash cam videos can help exonerate drivers in the event of an insurance claim. The footage enables fleet operators, investigators, and insurance companies to make logical and just conclusions based on the videos taken. The videos also offer protection against lawsuits and collision claims.
But more importantly, dash cam footage enables managers to see which drivers would benefit most from a driver safety program, whether for maintaining an acceptable speed or driving more consciously. Managers and drivers can replay the footage, analyze why the action is inappropriate or dangerous, and develop a safety plan that benefits both the transportation business and the team.
Final Thoughts
With the help of AI, fleet companies can run their businesses more seamlessly and without apprehension. AI dash cams enable companies to reduce costs, improve relationships between drivers and managers, and create a culture of safety that everyone follows.
Netradyne believes that safe driving habits benefit fleet companies and other people on the road. Learn more about how Netradyne solutions help businesses build a safety culture that empowers team members and optimize fleet operations.
