Canberra-based tech company Seeing Machines says there is one distracted driving event among Australian truckies every two minutes.
Almost a quarter of those 288,000 incidents (24 per cent), recorded over a 12-month period to September 30, 2024, is attributed to mobile device use.
Seeing Machines, makers of the in-cab Guardian unit, a driver fatigue and distraction solution, shared those findings in its newly released 2023-24 Guardian Insights Report. which analysed deidentified Guardian data from 32,420 trucks across 1961 Australian fleets.
The company also revealed there were more than 84,450 fatigue-related incidents over the year, at a rate of about nine per hour. The main examples are microsleep, drowsiness or yawning.
Overall, Seeing Machines’ data revealed 3.6 million ‘risky’ driving events in Australia over the 12-month period analysed.
The report, which probed data from around the world for the first time, aims to pinpoint and address the trends on “risky driving behaviours”.
“It not only highlights the scale of the issue, but it also offers actionable insights to help fleets mitigate the risks relating to driver impairment, reducing road accidents and protecting lives,” the latest report said.
In Australia, Seeing Machines said it discoverd fatigue events increase sharply in early morning, with notable peaks around 3-5am. Distraction predominantly occurs during the day, with events dropping between 11pm and 5am.
“Driver distraction and fatigue continue to contribute significantly to road fatalities and injuries in Australia and globally,” said Max Verberne, General Manager – Aftermarket, Seeing Machines.
“The Guardian Insights Report offers detailed data on when and where these incidents occur, helping fleets address the challenges of diverse operating environments.”
In the ‘Next Steps’ section of the report for Guardian customers, Seeing Machines said driver education and training plays a pivotal role in mitigating these risks, promoting road safety, reducing accidents, and safeguarding not just their own lives but those around them.
“One of the most effective ways fleet managers can coach employees and help them understand the risks of fatigue and distraction whilst driving, is by showing a driver one of their own events captured by Guardian.
“This is particularly successful with fatigue-related events, often serving to emphasise the importance of this technology and support driver adoption.”