Wearable Tech That Tells Drowsy Truckers It’s Time to Pull Over @NYTimes #WearableWednesday #Safety
Until self driving vehicles take over, driver fatigue will be a very real danger on the roadways. The New York Times looks at the trucking industry and some the the wearabes used to keep drivers alert.
At National Transportation Services in Kent, Wash., Juan Ochoa, an 18-year industry veteran, manages a fleet of about 80 long-haul trucks. He believes most accidents are caused by fatigue. “I’d estimate 70 percent,” he said.
One of the first drowsy-driving monitoring systems to appear in the truckers’ cab was a driver-facing camera that alerted the driver when it registered eyelid and head droops. Privacy concerns kept this technology from going far.
New wearable technology monitors the drivers but in a more subtle way, and comes in a variety of forms including caps, vests, wristbands and eye wear.
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