Why You Need a Driver Monitoring System for Fleet Managers

Do you ever sit and wonder, how would your drivers be driving your fleet? Do you want to know their activities that may not be suitable for both the drivers and your assets? If your answer is “YES” to all the aforementioned questions, let us introduce the driver monitoring system (DMS). This system ensures constant surveillance of your drivers, addressing all the crucial aspects related to the DMS. 

What is a Driver Monitoring System? 

A driver monitoring solution (DMS) is a technology designed to monitor and assess the behavior and condition of a vehicle’s driver in real-time. The primary goal of DMS is to enhance road safety by ensuring that the driver is attentive, alert, and able to respond to the driving conditions effectively. This technology typically employs a combination of sensors, cameras, and algorithms to analyze various aspects of the driver’s behavior and condition.

Put simply, the driver monitoring solutions (DMS) software comprehends events rather than actions. This means that the actions performed by a driver are classified as events, including smoking, yawning, being distracted, and others. By recording the driver’s movements, a dashcam correlates them with specific events and generates alerts accordingly. 

List of some of the events that the sensors of DMS detects:-

• Smoking 
• Distraction 
• Drowsiness 
• Yawning 
• Driver Absence 
• Blocking the camera 

Key Fact: Driver monitoring solutions are often integrated into Advanced Driver Assistance Systems/ software (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles to keep human drivers engaged and in control when necessary.  So this system contributes to overall road safety and can help prevent accidents caused by inattentive or inefficient drivers.

Why are Driver Monitoring Systems important?

Drivers are obviously your most important asset, but trusting them blindly can be one of your tasks. So it is always better to keep an eye on your most valuable asset. This section of this piece of writing unfolds why driver monitoring systems are important. 

1) Need for DMS 

Safety improvements: DMS helps prevent accidents by monitoring driver behavior, and detecting signs of fatigue, distraction, or stress.

Fleet management: Companies that own fleets use DMS to ensure driver compliance with safety regulations, reduce risk, and improve overall fleet performance. 

Insurance: Some insurance companies may offer discounts to drivers or fleets operating on DMS, as this reduces the risk of accidents.

Compliance: Compliance with laws mandating the use of DMS in certain types of vehicles or for specific purposes.

2) Enhanced Regulation Compliance 

Europe: The European New Vehicle Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) has introduced safety regulations, including systems for driver tracking. Euro NCAP actively encourages the automotive industry to use DMS to improve safety ratings.

United States: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the use of DMS in vehicles to prevent distracted and drowsy driving. The proposed Go Forward Act in the US. contains DMS-related provisions.

Other Projects: Countries and localities around the world are considering or implementing legislation to make DMS mandatory in vehicles and enhance road safety.

Technologies Used in Driver Monitoring Systems 

Camera

 A DMS typically uses one or more internal-looking cameras to monitor the facial, eye, and head movements of the driver. These cameras capture images or videos of the driver’s actions.

Infrared (IR) light

Infrared light is commonly used to improve visibility for camera-based DMSs, especially in low-light conditions. IR LEDs emit light that is invisible to the human eye but can be detected by cameras.

Image processing

Camera-delivery systems employ sophisticated image processing algorithms to precisely identify and monitor the driver’s head, eyes, and face movements. Real-time image analysis by this system can identify indications of sleep or distraction.

Machine Learning

Machine learning techniques are used to train algorithms to recognize patterns associated with various driver behaviors, such as drowsiness, distraction, or fatigue This allows DMS to evolve and improve its accuracy.

Eye tracking

Eye-tracking devices are used to track the driver’s orientation. By tracking eye movements, the DMS can determine whether a driver is looking away from the road for an extended period, indicating that they are distracted or drowsy.

Facial recognition

Face recognition systems can be used to recognize the driver and make settings based on individual preferences. This technology can help identify unauthorized users or prevent theft.

Sleep Detection

In order to evaluate driver alertness, DMS frequently uses sleep detection systems that examine a number of variables, including head position, eye closure rate, blink frequency, and steering wheel movements.

Driver behavior analysis: DMS can include sensors to track distance traveled, vehicle speed, and steering wheel speed, among other aspects of driver behavior.

Final Words

To wrap it all up, It would never be wrong to say the driver monitoring system plays a crucial role in the management of a fleet. This essay addresses every aspect of driver monitoring systems, including their features, advantages, and technological underpinnings.

Overall, the systems play a crucial role in enhancing road safety, preventing accidents, and providing valuable data for various purposes, including insurance, fleet management, and more. 

Well, are you thinking of opting for a driver management system? TrackoBit can be the right bet for four. The solution is also powered by the power of ADAS which brings visibility to the in-cabin activities and the outside activities of the vehicle and the driver.