Increasingly worried about the common nature of crashes related to fatigued driving, particularly in the mining industry, Caterpillar will begin offering drivers a $20,000 system known as Driver Safety Solution that keeps track of signals which could be indicative of a driver falling asleep.
Different from other systems in that it doesn’t require any additional equipment or calibration from a driver, DSS is able to monitor such things as blinking rate, pupil size, and the amount of time a driver’s eyes are closed to determine whether or not fatigue is about to get the best of a driver. If deemed necessary, the driver’s seat will vibrate and an audio alarm will sound. Employers will be able to then look at a video feed of the driver to determine if some action would be necessary.
Although being touted for its ability to enhance mining industry safety, one can see how such an application could be put in place among all commercial employers.
Click here for more about the system.