PANACEA – for improved traffic safety and professional driver health

VTI’s contribution to the PANACEA project has been finalised. Among other things, the project has developed a system that may contribute to improved traffic safety and a healthier lifestyle among professional drivers. One part of the system provides warnings and takes action when drivers are tired or under stress, and it also detects use of drugs and alcohol.

The basic idea has been to create a system with an approach that is holistic, addressing both technology and health. The technology is based on wireless devices, such as activity bracelets sending health data to a cloud-based database where all information is saved.

“This is a system that does not just detect tiredness or, for instance, alcohol but is also able to take action against such things both short-term and with a longer perspective”, according to Anna Anund, who has been the project leader for PANACEA*.

One example of a short-term measure is that an alcolock immediately reports back to the operator for a change of driver, but the system can also provide other interventions to support the driver.

“The plan was to develop a ‘fit to drive’ value at strategic as well as operational level.”

At the operational level, there are features such as alerts and warnings for tired drivers. At the strategic level, the system must be capable of identifying and suggesting measures to alleviate tiredness in the longer term.

“Lack of sleep is common among professional drivers and if we can find the reasons it will be possible to help. For instance through strategies to promote better sleep, a kind of coaching.”

The technology used by the system, such as cameras detecting eye movements that indicate that the driver is about to fall asleep, is tried and tested. In addition to eye movements, the technology can measure stress levels but also the presence of alcohol and drugs, via new up-to-date sensors. Most of the sensors, including the alcohol and drug test, have been integrated into a hub where the driver runs through a check before departure. Everything detected by the system, as well as feedback and possible countermeasures for drivers and operators, are available in an app.

What is new is that in the PANACEA project VTI has provided wireless linking of different sensor systems, which together provide an excellent basis for proposals for short term as well as longer term measures addressing the health of professional drivers.

According to Anna Anund, one of many advantages of the system that VTI has helped develop within PANACEA is the opportunities it affords both employees and employers. For instance, the opportunity for drivers to steer their life in a healthier direction. For employers, it can be a question of developing shift patterns that help facilitate a healthier lifestyle for the employees.

Within this project, VTI has largely made use of its rolling research platform Ride the Future, which now has two self-driving buses serving parts of Campus Valla and the Vallastaden in Linköping. Even though the buses are self-driving there are drivers on board who would be able to intervene in case of unforeseen events, which is a legal requirement. These drivers, a total of eight, have participated in PANACEA.

“I don’t believe in driverless vehicles in complex environments within a foreseeable time. On the other hand, the role of the driver will increasingly be one of supervisor, which means monotonous work with an increased risk of tiredness.”

At the same time, the drivers are moving around the bus, which is a challenge, since there is at present no developed technology for registration of the eye movements of a driver who is moving about.

“We have built a system and cloud-based software with continuous data collection, which is working well. But the technology is not yet quite there when it comes to drivers who are moving about.”

Privacy issues are another challenge. PANACEA is funded by the EU and has participants from eight countries. Monitoring drivers during working and leisure hours has worked well in a Swedish context. But in Greece and Spain, where trials involving taxi drivers, moped riders and long distance coach drivers have taken place, the situation is different.

“The trade unions say no, and the drivers do not want to use alcolocks or be the subject of monitoring. If the drivers do not want the technology, this will have an adverse effect on traffic safety and on health promotion among professional drivers.”

However, personal data from the system are only accessible to the individual driver but can be shared with the operator if permission is given. The presence of alcohol or drugs is reported directly to the operator.

Anna Anund notes that it seems to be natural for Swedish professional drivers to “think safety” but there are challenges here as well.

“A fifth of Swedish bus drivers state that they are struggling to keep awake during a work shift two to three times a week or more often. So, there is work to do for us too.”

Text: Johan Granath/Redakta

Translation: CBG