According to one National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, more than 3,500 people were killed due to distracted driving in 2021 alone. Whether it’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month or not, it’s always important to remember the dangers of multi-tasking or failing to pay attention to the road. Each April, people from all over the nation participate in an initiative to raise awareness and help spread knowledge about how to improve awareness on the road, and reduce risky distractions. There are numerous interventions, such as educational campaigns, public service announcements, and increased law enforcement, used in order to reduce the number of crashes caused by distracted driving.

The Epidemic of Distracted Driving

The most notable form of distracted driving is cellphone use. This is an issue for both commercial drivers and daily commuters. One Forbes article states that drivers spend an average of one minute and almost two minutes on their phones per hour of driving. While one minute doesn’t seem like a long time, it’s enough to limit one’s reaction time. At 60mph, in four seconds, you travel 352 feet. For commercial drivers, it’s not just about being able to put their phones away. Professional drivers must maintain a high level of awareness to watch for other distracted drivers on the road.  

Though most U.S. states have a ban on texting while driving, 7% of drivers are still using their cellphones while driving. This means that same proportion of drivers sharing the road with commercial drivers are not paying attention, and limiting their reaction time.  

Can Distracted Driving be Unlearned?

Like many bad habits, distracted driving can be a hard one to break. However, with the right motivation and tools, drivers can not only beat distracted driving but take a more proactive approach to fixing it.  

The two key factors in breaking a bad habit are consistency and recognition. When drivers pick up their phones while behind the wheel, there needs to be a triggered reminder to put their phones away. This reminder does not have to be aggressive for drivers to comply; it can be as simple as a chime. The whole point of this reminder is to make the person aware they are feeding a dangerous habit, and to re-focus on the road.  

Positive recognition is also a major factor in correcting risky driving behavior. When you reward positive outcomes, you reinforce this behavior in the long run. It’s scientifically proven that humans change behavior faster when the good behavior is recognized, vs. punishing bad behavior. Drivers will be more receptive to feedback that is centered around what they’re doing well. This makes coaching easier for fleet managers, and ensures that drivers feel appreciated for their safe driving skills. 

In order to practice consistency and recognition, many fleets are turning to advanced technology solutions. These solutions provide features and capabilities that help communicate safety risks to drivers effectively and efficiently.    

How AI is Helping Drivers Keep Their Eyes on the Road

Vision-based A.I. technology is one way fleets are taking on distracted driving, A.I.-enabled safety cameras are able to analyze and correct risky driving events in two ways: edge computing and trigger-based technology.  

Trigger-based technology is the most common in the fleet industry. It’s able to capture the moment a risky driving event occurs based on a trigger event such as a hard brake. However, trigger-based dash cameras only record the event as it occurs. This doesn’t allow enough context to be given as to why an event occurred and, therefore, how to fix it for the future. Edge computing, by contrast, means that all data captured during an average driving day is processed immediately without the need for trigger events. In addition, edge computing shows the whole sequence of events, so that fleet managers have the full context around driving alerts. 

Edge computing allows for accurate, real-time corrective alerts to help prevent accidents before they happen. An example of these insights are in-cab audio alerts. When the dash cam captures a driver looking at their phone for a certain period of time, an audio alert is initiated. The driver can correct this behavior and avoid any further incidents.  

Real-time insights, coupled with this technology, allow fleet managers to take a proactive approach when coaching their drivers. This also allows drivers to have autonomy over their training experience. Drivers do not have to meet their managers in person, and managers do not have to constantly contact their drivers about certain driving habits. Advanced, recommended coaching can be shared with drivers based on the A.I.-analyzed driving behavior and the alerts drivers received.  

A.I.-driven fleet management solutions can help keep drivers and passengers safe by not only detecting distracted driving, but also identifying other potentially risky behaviors. With a system that encourages positive driving habits, everyone on the road will benefit from these extra safety measures.   

Barrett Young is chief marketing officer at Netradyne.