Driver monitoring systems, or DMS, are a sophisticated auto technology designed to provide real-time assessments of a driver’s fitness to operate their vehicle.
Specifically, driver monitoring uses cameras and other sensors to pick up on signs of drowsy or distracted driving, then alert the operator of any safety risks they spot. They’re being used widely by fleet managers, so DMS features are an important part of choosing a fleet management system for your business.
The importance of combating drowsy driving shouldn’t be underestimated. According to an AAA report, experts believe that as many as 6,400 road fatalities every year are likely to involve drowsy driving. Underlining the severity of this is the fact that the symptoms of drowsy driving mirror those of drunk driving: delayed reaction times, poor judgment, and falling asleep at the wheel.
The risks are even more pronounced for commercial drivers operating large trucks, which require more skill to safely operate and are more dangerous when involved in collisions. The financial and reputational damage of crashing is another factor for fleet managers to consider, though obviously nothing is as valuable as human life.
What Are Driver Monitoring Systems?
A driver monitoring system is a combination of hardware and software elements that monitors driving behavior and identifies any potentially-unsafe actions. Specifically, driver monitoring systems use cameras and other physical sensors to feed AI algorithms with a range of driver data to judge if the vehicle operator is at risk or not, and issue alerts accordingly.
Currently, most fleet management tools come with some driver monitoring features, though DMS with more advanced AI facial recognition features are only just starting to enter the mainstream. Expect to see them more widely offered in both fleet management products and consumer cars over the next few years.
In fact, European regulations mandate that all new cars and light commercial vehicles are equipped with driver monitoring systems. Plus, our in-house Tech.co industry survey has found 36% of logistics firms say they’ll prioritize dash cam adoption while making system upgrades in 2026.
How Do Driver Monitoring Systems Work?
The backbone of a Driver Monitoring System is a driver-facing camera, which can be integrated directly into a vehicle’s dashboard or take the form of a dash cam. These cameras use LED lights to capture various facial movements, which then get assessed by AI to establish a baseline of what a particular driver’s normal, attentive and safe driving state looks like.
From there, the system monitors for changes in this state that would indicate an impaired ability to drive. For example, a change in a person’s average rate of blinking could suggest their eyes are tired. This kind of facial data is measured against other contributing factors, such as the length of the journey and the time of day, to decide if the driver should be alerted to take a break.
Warnings are usually delivered visually on a dashboard or other display, like a coffee cup icon accompanied by audio or haptic feedback (vibration) in the steering wheel.
Bosch Mobility states its advanced driver monitoring system takes into account as many as 70 driver cues. In addition to blinking, other signals include head tilting, steering wheel movements, eye narrowing and more.
Even the best fleet management solutions offer dash cams for truckers that are a little more basic, though the fundamentals are the same. The in-cab AI dash cams that accompany many fleet tools detect common signs of distracted driving such as eating, smoking or fiddling with the radio. Their sensors can also relay and record information regarding speed, cornering, and harsh braking.
Our researchers have tested top options like the Samsara CM32, finding them to be advanced enough to predict potential collisions and tailgating risks. Alerts are again provided, both to the driver and the fleet manager, who can add it to the rest of the driver performance data they accumulate by using fleet monitoring tools.
Is It Ethical to Install Driver Monitoring for Your Fleet?
Absolutely. That may surprise you coming from us here at Tech.co, given that we’re staunch advocates of privacy and Driver Monitoring could be viewed as an intrusion. However, in the context of driving and commercial driving in particular, the safety benefits far outweigh the fact that some employees may find it unnerving to begin with.
The statistics speak for themselves in this regard: Data from AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety has drowsy driving confirmed as responsible for 100,000 crashes and 1,550 fatalities annually, in addition to 71,000 injuries. However, experts tend to agree that the real figures are likely to be much higher.
Selling DMS to your fleet drivers is all about highlighting safety benefits. They have friends and family who worry about them, too. Much like the top ELD devices that drivers already use, the right Driver Monitoring System technology promises to give everyone far more peace of mind than diner coffee and Pro Plus ever can.
What Are the Benefits of Installing Driver Monitoring?
Safety is the biggest benefit of using Driver Monitoring. A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study of commercial vehicle crashes found 13 percent of commercial motor vehicle drivers were fatigued at the time of the accident. For fleet managers, crashes mean missed deadlines and additional costs. Anything that can be done to reduce incident rates and their financial consequences is a win-win.
A second benefit is that you’ll stick to your delivery strategy and meet client expectations, since healthy and well-rested drivers will perform better in the long run.
Third benefit? These systems make you a better employer and enhance your credibility when it comes to duty of care.
Finally, safe driving is better for the trucks themselves, as minimizing activity like sharp braking and abrupt turning can help keep maintenance costs down.
In short, knowledge is power and driver monitoring helps equip you with more actionable data than ever before. It’s one key element in a suite of fleet management tools to help you plan the most efficient routes, cut fuel consumption and more.
Best Driver Monitoring Tools
When it comes to driver monitoring tools, the best solutions combine hardware and software to help ensure fleet operations run safely and smoothly. Usually, this means a physical dash cam backed by AI that analyzes footage and flags unsafe behavior and signs of tiredness.
Our expert research highlights Verizon Connect, Samsara and Teletrac Navman as the top fleet management solutions for driver monitoring and safety features.
In addition, Azuga’s products offer this kind of functionality to good effect, and Speedir offers strong standalone driver monitoring tech. Most fleet and enterprise-caliber tools currently do not offer cutting-edge features like eyeball tracking, as these are still being developed.
Verizon Connect
Ranked the all-time best fleet management system in our Verizon Connect review based on our impartial testing process, Verizon’s many impressive features include a physical dash cam backed by an AI cloud. It both warns drivers of unsafe behavior and flags unsafe driving with managers, using relevant tags.
Verizon is a particularly good system for medium-to-large sized fleets due to the cost savings on offer, which combine with the smart monitoring and safety alerts for a package that’s hard to beat.
Samsara
Our Samsara Fleet review puts this feature-packed system virtually on par with Verizon, and its dash cam has AI Event Detection to help ensure safe following distances and flag distracted driving behavior such as checking a personal smartphone device or snacking.
It also has a predictive forward collision warning system, currently in beta, and gamifies driver performance using a points and leaderboard system to encourage best practice.
Teletrac Navman TN360
Ranked among the top three management systems (as our Teletrac Navman review covers), the TN360 comes with a safety analytics module that utilizes an AI-powered dash cam to provide driver safety alerts, predictive feedback, and record data for acceleration, cornering and harsh braking.
The data feeds into a points system and is presented through leaderboard functionality, giving both drivers and managers an easy way to monitor performance.
Azuga
Azuga’s AI Dashcam promises to detect a wide range of unsafe driving behavior, including signs of distracted and tired driving, like yawning. It links with Azuga’s fleet tracking app to provide another fully integrated fleet tracking option. As highlighted in our Azuga review, another major selling point of its safety features is the unique seat belt alert.
Speedir
To get a taste of the full power and future of driving monitoring tools, Speedir’s AI dash cam is one of the few commercially available products we could find that promises advanced functionality like eyeball tracking to help diagnose drowsy driving. This award-winning product doesn’t seem to integrate with popular fleet management solutions, but is a standalone tool in its own right.
Verdict: Should You Use Driver Monitoring Systems?
Driver monitoring systems are an integral part of the future of car safety. With semi-autonomous driving modes set to feature in more and more mainstream cars, ensuring drivers remain alert is nearly a precondition of entering this brave new, self-driving world.
When you look at the statistics of how deadly drowsy and distracted driving can be, it’s difficult to argue against using driver monitoring systems. The same is true when it comes to large commercial fleets, where even more is at stake for both individual drivers and the business concerned.
Learn More About Fleet Management
If you want to improve the management of your commercial fleet, a fleet management system is a great place to start, whether you’re running a business with five pizza delivery vehicles, or thousands of semis. You’ll be more efficient with planning driver routes, managing the upkeep of your vehicles, and monitoring driver workloads. What’s more, your business will be fully compliant with the ELD mandate.
If you’re still getting to grips with fleet management, consider quickly getting quotes from the leading providers: It’s as easy as filling out our free online form.
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