SAFETY FIRST! KSRTC Buses to Sport Driver Fatigue Monitoring System

EXHAUSTED drivers dozing off at the wheel is a major contributor to road accidents, with studies—that of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), for instance—attributing 40% of highway accidents to sleep fatigue.

- KRISHNA KUMAR K E @Kochi

Now, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has initiated a major step to prevent such mishaps by equipping its buses, especially those deployed for long-haul services, with driver fatigue detection sensor cameras.

The KSRTC has already installed the cameras in its new Premium Superfast AC buses and floated tenders to procure 5,000 additional dashboard cameras with the driver fatigue monitoring system.

"The artificial intelligence-enabled system will mainly be used to detect driver fatigue and distractions like the use of mobile phones while driving. The system uses cameras to monitor the driver's eyes, head movements, and road conditions. It issues alerts if the driver is drowsy or inattentive. Smoking detection is another feature," a senior KSRTC official told TNIE.