By Dave Bean, FMW Associate Editor
July 26, 2023
The Data Science Team at Verizon Connect has uncovered a most disturbing trend amidst their May 2023 video research findings. Nearly two-thirds of truck drivers who died behind-the-wheel in vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belts. Not surprising considering this same study found that 10% of commercial drivers overall were operating their vehicles without seat belt protection.
Included in this study was no small sample size: the Verizon Connect team looked at more than seven million videos from their own dashcams. Further, the videos also uncovered that 40% of all drivers were speeding, which was a leading contributor of one-in-three road accident deaths in 2021.
In response to this comprehensive intelligence, Verizon Connect has boosted their dashcam technology, including AI functions that better identify both speeding and lack of seat belt use, among other enhancements. The aim of the improvements is to provide fleet managers with the ability to fine tune their analysis of negative and outright dangerous driving occurrences.
Newly introduced AI Dashcam enhancements include the following:
- AI Tags that Identify Speeding and Unfastened Seat Belts: This feature will allow fleet managers the ability to identify driver coaching opportunities and improve overall safety.
- Cloud AI Video Analytics Engine: In addition to video tags for speeding and non-use of seat belts, this tool also provides video tags for other driver missteps including, but not limited to, distracted driving (including phone usage), tailgating and rolling stops. Fleet managers will be better equipped to identify more exactly what circumstances exist in a particular driver’s shortcomings.
- Camera Health: Identifies issues with the dashcam itself and offers both diagnosis and solutions to rectify the issue(s), decreasing operational downtime.
- Increased Video Capacity: Verizon Connect has an optional 256 GB SD card, which can store up to 170 hours on a road-facing camera and 115 hours on a dual camera. More footage translates into more video space for evidence in accidents, driver-to-driver conflicts or other road safety situations.
“Video is a transformational medium for fleets, boosting operations as well as driver safety. Our research and ongoing enhancements to Verizon Connect’s Integrated Video are part of our commitment to provide our customers with a best-in-class experience when it comes to fleet management,” said Lisa Donnelly, Associate Director of Product Management, Verizon Connect. “They will provide greater actionable insights and the ability to improve coaching for drivers, which we know is key for our customers.”