Artificial intelligence (AI) combined with vehicle dashcam systems has scope to greatly increase road safety and reduce the insurance premiums of coach and bus operators, supplier Centrad has said.
It is a leading commercial vehicle camera and telematics solutions specialist and believes that widespread adoption of AI-enabled camera solutions “will unlock a new dimension on road safety, in turn saving hundreds of millions of pounds per year in claims.”
That technology can detect signs of risky driving behaviour when behind the wheel and in real-time, alerting drivers and fleet managers before a situation escalates into an accident.
Longstanding Centrad customer Ashcrofts Mini Travel recently invested in integrated AI-powered dashcam solutions from the supplier for two Yutong GT12 coaches. Director Chris Ashcroft believes that such a step is a big contributor to improved safety.
“It is about taking a proactive approach to reducing accidents and keeping people safe,” says Mr Ashcroft. “If an accident occurs involving a passenger or the driver, we are now able to quickly access and download footage within minutes to get to the bottom of it, so from a transparency perspective, it is invaluable.”
Centrad says it is seeing an increase in the number of fleet operators turning to AI-powered dashcam solutions.
That is because of a greater demand within the commercial vehicle segment for systems that go beyond recording and playback, and instead provide real-time monitoring, proactive alerts for fatigue, and detection of incidents or distracted driving habits such as mobile phone usage.
Managing Director Geoff Cross (pictured) points to increasing road traffic accident numbers, according to Department for Transport provisional data. That has also seen insurance claims numbers rise.
“Distracted driving is on the rise at an alarming rate, and the use of a mobile phone while driving is at the core of this epidemic,” he says.
“Looking through a road safety lens, fleet operators need to address this issue, and quickly, in order to mitigate the risk of drivers putting themselves and other road users in danger by using their mobile phone when behind the wheel.
“By leveraging AI, operators can actually detect signs of distraction – such as glancing down at a phone or failing to keep eyes on the road – and immediately alert drivers to correct their behaviour before it leads to a serious incident.
“AI is not just a tool for improving efficiency, but a proactive means of mitigating risk, and the role it will play in making roads safer has the potential to be groundbreaking.”
Mr Cross believes that a need for preventative technology “has never been greater” and he notes how AI “is leading the charge in making that possible.”
