SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Lytx has come out with two new features, giving drivers the opportunity improve behaviors in real-time and fleets the chance to correct behaviors without video capture.

New capabilities are made possible through a combination of machine vision and artificial intelligence, which Lytx dubs MV+AI. Its MV+AI algorithms can now detect behaviors that reflect inattention, such as when the driver is focused on something inside the cab, is showing signs of drowsiness, or is eating.

Five behaviors will now provide the driver with a real-time alert : cell phone use ; eating or drinking ; smoking ; not wearing a seatbelt ; speeding ; as well as general inattentiveness.

Reports will indicate both how many times the driver engaged in the risky behavior, as well as for how long as a percentage of drive time.

The DriveCam event recorder alerts the driver when a risky behavior has been identified so they can self-correct immediately. Lytx said its warnings have an accuracy rate of greater than 95%.

“Fleets today are looking for reliable technology that allows drivers to quickly improve in the moment and with little or no manager intervention,” said Lytx president Doron Lurie. “A driver-powered approach to safety empowers drivers to take charge of their own safety, while freeing up precious manager time that can be redirected to other areas of the business. Backed by award-winning technology and a proven strategy that has helped hundreds of thousands of drivers safely navigate billions of miles, fleet managers can be confident in this approach and can track progress along the way to respond to any critical events or incidents and intervene as needed.”

Also new from Lytx is Risk Identification Without Recording. This is aimed at fleets that have privacy concerns related to driver-facing in-cab video. The DriveCam is able to use MV+AI to identify risky behaviors without recording video of the driver.

Kristin Costas, director of product management, walked trucking editors through the new features during a virtual press conference Oct. 26. She said they are meant to empower drivers to better take control of their driving habits and correct them in real-time. In beta testing, fleets saw a 50% reduction in the use of handheld devices when in-cab alerts were enabled.

“This was really encouraging for us,” Costas said. “We’ve been working with in-cab alerting for many years now, fine-tuning it as we go. We believe in the power of intuitive alerts, but the accuracy is so important to get these results and have drivers change their behavior and maintain that behavior change.”

The in-cab alerts are configurable by the fleet, so they can focus on the behaviors of most concern to them.