EquipmentWorld.com | October 2015
37
I
f Big Brother isn't watching
you, he should be. And you
should be glad he is.
The revolution in digital
technology and telematics
has created new products that can
monitor drivers and equipment
operators, score them on how
well they're doing and help you
coach them to become better and
safer drivers. And just recently
Caterpillar announced a similar
system for use with operators in
trucks and off-road equipment.
(See: Get enough sleep? Cat wants
to know, on page 39).
Also, we're seeing some interest-
ing collision avoidance technology
migrate into the trucking and con-
struction space. And while these
by themselves don't involve driver
monitoring and coaching, they can
be used in conjunction with these
systems.
But fi rst let's look at how this
monitoring and performance-
coaching technology is helping
the trucking industry.
How they work
Driver monitoring and perfor-
mance systems start with a pair of
digital video cameras, one facing
the driver, the other facing out the
windshield, and a variety of accel-
erometers. The cameras work like a
DVR. They're always recording, but
technology
|
by Tom Jackson
|
TJackson@randallreilly.com
Driver monitoring and
performance technology
New systems cut accidents and collision costs and improve
safety better than anything that's come along in decades
One lens looks at the driver, the other looking forward at the road. The camera
records continuously but only saves the video when there is an incident.
