The development of driver monitoring technology has been one of the biggest calls from safety organizations around the world. Automakers have been urged to make this technology a mainstay in the modern car, as a way to eliminate distracted driving. 

It’s not difficult to see why. On the roads, people have been killed or seriously injured due to inattentive or distracted drivers. These accidents are entirely preventable. Plenty of local and national governments around the world have recognised distraction as part of the most fatal road safety issues for over a decade.

Traditional road safety countermeasures, including education and enforcement, have been part of the measures to reduce driver distraction. But what happens when drivers continue to engage in distracting behaviours? Automakers play an important role to make sure that the risks can now be reliably captured and actioned in real-time through the technology now available. 

When it comes to real-time management of distracting behaviours, there is unanimous agreement that measuring drivers’ visual behaviour is a key approach. Driver monitoring system (DMS) technology is mature and already in vehicles around the world. Camera-based DMS is used by trucking fleets to protect drivers, in real-time, primarily from distraction and drowsiness. There are algorithms for detecting distraction, and it all relies on the analysis of visual attention.

To this end, DMS technology has evolved and is now widely available. With the automated vehicle market projected to grow by 2026, automakers will be even more incentivised to ensure that the DMS is in place; and will be key to ensuring operator engagement and safety during driving. 

The push for this DMS uptake is further accelerated by the increasing automation of new vehicles and the need to ensure the safety of both driver and the public when testing automated vehicles. DMS is being deployed at an increasing rate worldwide, with DMS installation rates projected to increase from 1% in 2019 to 71% by 2026.T his is driven in part by recognition of the extensive safety benefits of DMS by regulatory bodies globally; including being mandated in all vehicles in Europe. 

The science proves it: ocular metrics hold the key to determining a driver’s cognitive and attentional states, which are needed to measure distraction. Automotive and trucking OEMs and operators are already investing significantly in camera-based driver monitoring. Camera-based DMS technology is mature and is recognised as a technology that can have a massive impact reducing distraction-related crashes.

More automakers need to take the push into DMS technology more seriously, and understand that DMS be a recognised solution in helping achieve the goal of eliminating crashes due to driver distraction.

What do you think about DMS systems? Do you think that it should be a mandated technology in Malaysia especially? Let us know in the comments below!

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