Omnitracs, a provider of SaaS-based fleet management and data analytics solutions and a pioneer in transportation technology, released SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+.

The next generation of SmartSense, the integrated cab-facing cameras and sensor of SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ employs AI and computer vision to detect suspected sleep, drowsiness, cell phone usage, smoking, and general inattention, alerting drivers to take action to avoid a collision.  

Distracted driving is a rapidly growing epidemic with 3,142 fatalities in distraction-affected crashes in 2019 – a 9.9% increase from 2018. 

SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ detects and proactively notifies drivers when they are distracted or drowsy, providing immediate in-cab feedback for fleets large and small. The solution leverages AI and sensor data to identify inattention based on head position, eye lids being open or shut, and direction of eye gaze, phone use, etc.

Utilizing technology from SmartDrive, which was acquired by Omnitracs in 2020, this intelligence is rooted in a 20-year history of training and informing sensors using insights and data from more than 300 million analyzed driving safety events and more than 30 billion driving miles across all transportation sectors. 

Using two cameras built into in a single unit, the solution provides complete visibility of the entire cab and details of the driver’s face, eyes, and hands to identify drowsiness, sleep, phone use, cigarette use, seatbelt use, and other safety-critical behaviors. "It is only with two cameras that a fleet truly knows if a driver is attentive or not, even if the driver is wearing sunglasses," company officials said in a press release. 

SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ enhances the risk detection that is already built into the SR4. Additional benefits include: 

• Over-the-air upgrades that allow for new capabilities to be added without costly equipment changes.

• Easy installation.

• Wide-angle and zoom-in views that provide context, so detection can be tied to the overall safety program, aiding in determining if there are systemic issues that need to be resolved, i.e., lack of sleep due to a medical or family issue. 

“Inattention is a pandemic – and one that has become increasingly worse,” commented Omnitracs Chief Technology Officer Ray Ghanbari. “SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ addresses this problem head on using advanced technologies and analytics to keep our drivers safe and help all of us get home safely.” 

Some customers, like Conico Oil, are seeing immediate value from SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+. Conico Oil’s Safety Manager Mike Goldberg is responsible for fuel distribution operations across what has been acknowledged as the largest and most congested urban area in the U.S. and recognized a growing need to better understand if and when drivers are distracted. With trucks running 24/7 and shifts starting throughout the day and night, he turned to Omnitracs to help. 

“We needed a solution that proactively alerts drivers and notifies me when a situation occurs,” Goldberg said. “SmartSense for Inattentive Driving+ has helped us reduce both inattentive and drowsy driving. I won’t let any of our drivers hit the road now without it.” 

SmartSense for Inattentive Driving + is available to all fleets today.