In driver safety systems, the term fatigue is often oversimplified and linked solely to microsleeps, but there is a difference – a big one.
It is well known that driver fatigue is a leading cause of road accidents, and particularly dangerous for truck drivers. But addressing this issue requires more than just awareness and logbooks – it demands proactive action and cutting-edge technology. In fact, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) recently released good practice guidance around Fatigue and Distraction Detection Technologies (FDDT).
However, when exploring different FDDT, there is an important aspect to consider: does the technology only detect severe forms of drowsiness, like microsleeps, or can it also identify the critical early signs of drowsiness?
In the context of driver safety systems, the term fatigue is often oversimplified and linked solely to microsleeps, where the driver briefly loses consciousness. This neglects the fact that drivers frequently show more subtle signs of drowsiness before progressing to microsleeps. This point is significant and could be the deciding factor in preventing life-threatening accidents.
Many fatigue detection solutions focus on identifying microsleeps – brief, unintentional episodes of sleep lasting mere seconds. While detecting these events is important, it often happens too late. By the time a driver experiences a microsleep, their ability to react to road conditions is severely compromised. This is the moment when vehicles may veer into oncoming traffic, run off the road, or cause devastating rollovers.
These incidents can happen in a fraction of a second, leaving no room for corrective action. What’s more, the delayed reaction times and impaired judgment caused by drowsiness can lead to errors that would otherwise be avoidable, making early intervention crucial.
The most advanced safety systems go beyond detecting microsleeps.
Early drowsiness detection technology continuously monitors and evaluates a driver’s state and intervenes when they are at risk. And it’s not just a matter of detecting yawning, which is not always a reliable indicator of drowsiness. This technology has a correlation with scientific measures of sleepiness, such as the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS).
In fact, Europe has already mandated such technology under the General Safety Regulation, setting a benchmark for other regions.
By analysing eye closure, closure rates, and facial features in real time, these systems continuously measure a driver’s level of drowsiness and provide pre-emptive warnings. It’s not unlike the low fuel warning light on your dash; it warns a driver before they hit empty.
Intervening at this point makes drivers aware of their increased risk, enabling them to take corrective action – such as pulling over for rest – before their condition deteriorates into a microsleep. Should a microsleep occur, FDDT will intervene with audio, visual and/or haptic alerts; however, the pre-emptive warning is designed to help drivers avoid reaching this dangerous level of drowsiness in the first place.
While addressing fatigue at any stage is critical, early detection is the key to prevention. A robust system that intervenes before a driver reaches a dangerous level of drowsiness doesn’t just reduce risk; it saves lives.
Guardian Generation 3 by Seeing Machines offers fleets a real-time, preventative driver safety solution boasting unparalleled drowsiness and distraction detection and superior fatigue intervention.
Powered by technology that is trusted by some of the world’s leading automotive brands and in development for over 20 years, Guardian is scientifically proven to reduce fatigue-related events by more than 90 per cent.
