Driver fatigue is a hidden menace, especially when it comes to those piloting commercial vehicles, with long hours behind the wheel amplifying the risk of a mishap happening. In a bid to address this, the transport ministry says it is looking into the possibility of using digital technology to monitor public service vehicle drivers’ fatigue levels, Bernama reports.
According to deputy transport minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah, the ministry is holding engagements with stakeholders in the land transport industry to examine digital monitoring system technology for detecting driver fatigue as well as health levels, particularly in relation to sleep disorders or sleep apnea.
He said these discussions have involved industry operators, innovators and logistics companies across both heavy and light transport sectors. “We are aware of sleep apnea issues in the past. The cost of it (the digital monitoring) was once raised, but it would cost hundreds of ringgit per check.”
“However, with a new memorandum of agreement (MoA), we will look into this matter comprehensibly,” he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Negara. He said this in response to a supplementary question by Senator Datuk Koh Nai Kwong, who asked if the government was considering the use of wearable technology to monitor PSV drivers’ fatigue levels.
The MoA in question was signed in May between the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Alpha International Training and Consultancy to develop specialised training programmes to address the issue of sleep deprivation and its impact on road safety. This includes a sleep management certification and rehabilitation programme, which aims to raise awareness and equip commercial drivers with fatigue management skills.
Hasbi added that the ministry is also looking into proposals to use advanced technologies like driver recognition systems incorporating the vehicle’s steering wheel, which can detect heart rates when it is held.
He said this innovation could prevent unhealthy drivers from beginning their journeys by monitoring vital signs upon contact. “We are taking note of this matter alongside the MoA made with the industry on sleep apnea, and will formulate the outcome and determine the next way forward,” he said.
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it’s like u are having fever, doctor gives u antibiotic for curing cancel
Ahlokekor’s assistant..talk 3 n 4 like him.
More tech will incur more expenses.
Just clean up the blardy JPJ and puspakom.
When corruption is still a disease,more crashes n needless deaths will be the norm.
Whenever a driver enters the car cabin, he will inhale and exhale his own breath and by doing that reducing the oxygen level. After 1 hour if he keeps on driving without stopping, he will be breathing a lot of his own carbon dioxide. CO2 is poison to the blood system, making a human sleepy before losing conciousness.
The more occupant inside a vehicle, the more CO2 it would be in the cabin. High end luxury cars have an automatic air recirculation system (if not mistaken a Mercedes car opens the flap after 30 minutes drive to let fresher air inside).
No such thing called microsleep. This is pure science. Every driver shouldn’t drive for 2 hour straight, must stop to get fresh oxygen (NOT smoking).
Imagine express bus drivers with 30 pax on board.
Don’t believe? Paultan should a do a test using an oxygen detector/analyzer and put it on youtube for the whole world to watch.
okay qanon
Existing dashcam and GPS tracker also you call cannot enforce properly. Trying every opportunity to make money.
errr why dont u enforce your current laws first before adding more that you not gonna enforce
ministry can look into it. but more effective if transport driver association taking steps to register and certify their own members for fitness to drive and together with ministry work out a reasonable work load and demand on drivers. i believe these drivers have been overworked and driving schedules that is not reasonable is a driving force for error and over-speeding.
This device is readily available on the market it is called On-board Dashcam with built-in driver monitoring system and global positioning tracker.
Digital tech lol, compulsory for every vehicle to have AEB 1st only talk about high tech.
This country everything also must monitor first. Maybe because those in power are all just big monitor lizards la that’s all they know how to do.
Why not approve full driving technology first. That will reduce accidents caused by drowsiness. Instead, our authorities prohibit its usage