| 33 Westland: Service Cartage REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Westland Milk Products in Hokitika has been a key client for Service Cartage over the years. Driving safety with AutoSense Driver fatigue is becoming a major cause of road accidents and companies such as Service Cartage are seeing the bene its of introducing new technology to reduce the risk, says Autosense Chief Executive O icer Charles Dawson. AutoSense is the exclusive distributor in New Zealand of Guardian, made by SeeingMachines, a solution it has helped Service Cartage to implement across its leet. SeeingMachines technology uses arti icial intelligence (AI) technology that observes the driver’s attention – reliably, unobtrusively, and in real time. When the technology detects a driver has fallen asleep it instigates a vibration in the seat and an alarm is activated waking the driver up, as well as giving the driver’s dispatch headquarters a call to notify them the driver is fatigued. This allows the driver to pull over and take a rest. Dawson says that with 4,000 Guardian units installed across New Zealand, SeeingMachines is clocking around 60 100microsleeps per day indicating the huge extent of the hazard. Insurance companies are also realising the bene its of the technology with AutoSense working closely with NZI. Both Seeing Machines and the AutoSense simulator programme formpart of NZI’s Fleet Fit programme of which Service Cartage is a part of. Started in 2017, AutoSense is a one-stop shop for driver safety training providing safety solutions for heavy and light vehicle commercial leets through online driver trainingmodules, in-vehicle coaching, in-cab simulator training and prevention of fatigue and distraction using Guardian and SafeDrivePod technology. Dawson says that AutoSense is on a mission to demystify driver training through the clever use of technology making it simple to implement and manage driver awareness programmes. “We make it easy for our clients to be compliant by identifying where the risk is so resources can be focused on training those that need it, rather than having to deliver training to everyone, interrupting their business and costing themvaluable resources,” explains Dawson. He says the bene its are clear: signi icant reduction of risk, crashes and operational costs. Clients are already experiencing lower insurance premiums, discounted ACC levies, lower crash repair bills, lower maintenance costs, lower fuel costs, improved productivity, and less sick leave and/or temporary sta costs – not to mention reducing the substantial hidden costs of motor vehicle crashes and reputational damage if a business fails to deliver or damages a client’s goods. “It is well known that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is one of the most dangerous activities an employee will undertake in the workplace. By implementing clear policies and a comprehensive driver evaluation and education programme, with the use of the latest online risk assessment programmes and in-car evaluations, business owners can signi icantly reduce risk and positively impact their bottom line.”
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