For Truckers: Can AI Prevent Drowsy Driving?
December 17, 2024
Roughly 1 in 8 semi-truck accidents involves driver fatigue. That’s according to federal authorities, who deem drowsy driving to be as dangerous as drunk driving. Looking to try to address this by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI), new technology for truckers and fleet operators claims to be highly effective at detecting fatigued truckers in real-time.
While proponents say this new software can prevent drowsy driving truck wrecks and save lives, some truckers and others have raised serious concerns about this new technology and whether it could present more problems than it solves.
Here’s why, by exploring:
- Truckers & Drowsy Driving: The Scope of the Issue & Risk
- How AI Technology Can Detect Drowsy Driving
- Early Industry Response: Will Truckers, Owners & Others Embrace AI for Drowsy Driving?
- Will AI Make the Roads Safer?
To see other ways technology may be pushing the trucking industry into the future, check out how driverless trucks are being operated in the Permian Basin.
Truckers & Drowsy Driving: The Scope of the Issue & Risk
Irregular sleep patterns, long hours on the roads, and tight delivery deadlines are often inherent to working as a trucker. They also tend to give rise to trucker fatigue and the dangers of drowsy driving.
In fact, according to federal regulators:
- Fatigued truck wrecks are fairly common: Roughly 13% of severe truck wrecks reportedly involved a fatigued commercial driver.
- Many truckers admit they’re fatigued on the roads: Approximately 25% of long-distance truckers say they’ve fallen asleep while driving at least once over the past 12 months. More than 1 in 3 say they have difficulty finding rest areas to park every night while ~80% admit that, at least once a week, not being able to stop forces them to drive beyond the point of feeling alert and safe.
- Many truckers are living with sleep disorders: About 28% of commercial truckers have mild to severe sleep apnea, which can inhibit restful sleep and contribute to fatigued driving.
- Trucker shortages haven’t helped: The years-long shortage of truck drivers has recently been exacerbated by the pandemic, Boomer retirements, and other factors. In fact, experts say this shortage is only going to get worse in the near future, with 2028 projections showing more than double the shortage in 2018.
- Fatigued driving can be as deadly as drunk driving: Affecting perception, reaction times, and judgment, drowsy driving can result in impairments similar to those associated with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05%, which is above the 0.04% legal limit for truckers. After 24 hours of no sleep, fatigued drivers can display impairments akin to having a BAC of 0.10%, more than twice the legal limit for commercial motorists.
These and other factors have inspired innovations and regulations, including hours-of-service rules, aimed at curbing drowsy driving and the many 18-wheeler accidents it causes.
How AI Technology Can Detect Drowsy Driving
Made by Samsara, the Drowsiness Detection technology uses AI software and dashcams to:
- Scan drivers’ faces and behaviors
- Identify signs of fatigue, like slouching, yawning, eye rubbing, and closed eyes
- Send off a few alerts when drowsiness is detected, including an audio warning in the cab for the trucker, as well as a text or email alert to the fleet manager.
When the alert is sounded for the trucker, they will reportedly be encouraged to stop for a rest.
For managers who receive these alerts, they may be prompted to remotely observe a potentially drowsy trucker, reach out to them directly to check in, or take other actions.
Trained on vast datasets and analyzing multiple factors, this advanced technology can reportedly detect even very subtle signs of trucker fatigue, helping improve safety on the road. With that, proponents say that this AI drowsy-driving tech could:
- Help key decision makers identify trends in drowsy driving, so they can refine their strategies, schedules, and policies to better prevent it
- Enhance a culture of safety for individual motor carriers and the trucking industry as a whole.
Early Industry Response: Will Truckers, Owners & Others Embrace AI for Drowsy Driving?
Reactions to the AI drowsy driving technology have been mixed, with some supporters pushing for more testing and wider implementation while others have asserted some legitimate worries. Notably, some early adopters have been fleet owners, insurance companies, and others who believe this technology is a crucial next step in eliminating the issue of drowsy driving in the trucking industry.
Others, including some truckers, motor carriers, and regulators, have been more reluctant to instantly embrace AI for fatigued driving — and their reasons vary widely. Some are waiting to see how more extensive pilot programs and early implementation turn out before taking a stand for or against this technology.
For those who are more opposed to it, the worries tend to involve misdetections, malfunctions, overly monitoring truckers, and more subjective AI determinations about driver fatigue, giving truckers little to no recourse to address alerts that are “unfair” or even unwarranted.
Will AI Make the Roads Safer?
It may be years before the answer to this question is backed by substantial real-world testing and verified evidence. While many are eager for innovations like this one to prevent drowsy driving truck accidents, these advancements can’t help those who have already been hurt in 18-wheeler wrecks. When these crashes occur, getting answers about your legal rights and options can be essential to seeking the justice and recovery you may deserve.