A new device that could alert drivers in danger of falling asleep while also notifying fleet managers is now available from SmartWitness.

SmartWitness DDC100 detects driver fatigue and sends audible alerts

According to research by the vehicle CCTV firm, one in six drivers has fallen asleep at the wheel while 42% of motorists have driven while they felt drowsy and were in danger of nodding off.

In response, SmartWitness has devised a new system that recognises that the driver’s eyes are not on the road and sends out alerts to wake them up.

Suitable for cars as well as commercial vehicles, the dashboard-mounted DDC100 unit uses facial recognition software to detect when the driver’s eyes have looked away from the road for more than three seconds. When this happens it sends out an audible alert and when connected to a fleet management system it will also send an alert to the fleet manager that the driver is suffering from fatigue. The DDC100 also recognises when the driver is using a mobile phone at the wheel and is distracted for other reasons whilst driving.

SmartWitness also operates a new SmartGuard system for fleet clients where all their drivers are monitored by a professional call centre in real time to pick up on problems such as fatigue, and deal with them before they cause a serious incident.