Lytx: video telematics and the road to Vision Zero
Telematics specialist Lytx has offered insight into the role next-generation video telematics can play in fulfilling the Mayor of London’s Vision Zero action plan, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road collisions in the capital by 2041. The European Union is striving to achieve the same goal by 2050.
“In order to reach these targets, transport operators need to better understand why incidents are happening and how they can take preventative action to mitigate them,” said Damian Penney, VP EMEA at Lytx.
“Next-generation video telematics are one of the solutions that can help them to achieve this.
“These valuable tools are providing commercial fleets with a comprehensive overview of how their fleet is operating, while also empowering drivers with the tools to make good decisions that keep road users safe.
“By using a combination of advanced machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI) as part of video telematics solutions, fleet managers can gain visibility over distracted or risky behaviours that are happening in and around the vehicle. This could include eating and drinking, texting, failing to wear a seatbelt or weaving within a lane.
“Within this video telematics solution, machine vision acts as the eyes – seeing and recognising objects and behaviour by analysing video data from inside and outside of the vehicle. AI then works as the brain, interpreting what those behaviours mean, how risky it is and whether it needs to be highlighted to the driver and fleet manager.”
The technology collects and analyses video data, with visual or audio alerts triggered to notify the driver and allow them to self-correct in the moment before any initial slip-up turns into a more serious incident. This is helping to make drivers more aware of what safer driving habits look like, says Damian, and the role they have to play in reducing incidents.
“Compared to traditional telematics systems, which only report on incidents after they’ve happened and without providing insight into what might have caused them, fleets can use these intelligent dash cams to get ahead of problems by identifying risky behaviours early on,” he continued.
“Fleet operators are able to act upon insights quickly – and in the longer term, if they are seeing patterns of distracted driving behaviour, they have the option to offer drivers further training and coaching, for example.”
