Truck insurer seeks data and insight from partnership
National Transport Insurance (NTI) has bolstered global driver safety-technology company Seeing Machines’ Australian profile with a research and data partnership.
Best known for its Guardian driver monitoring system (DMS), Seeing Machines is to gain NTI backing as the insurer pushes towards a ‘zero heavy vehicle involved fatality rate’ by year 2032 target highlighted in the NTI-backed 2019 Major Accident Investigation Report.
“Together we are ‘walking the talk’, and moving beyond assessing that fleets and transport businesses have safety policies and procedures in place,” NTI chief customer officer Chris Hogarty says.
“We’re venturing into new territory.
“Our exclusive partnership enables NTI to promote the uptake of Seeing Machines’ Guardian technology, whilst also take advantage of research opportunities and exchange critical data.”
Read of Seeing Machines’ involvement in the Advanced Safe Truck Concept, here
Seeing Machines has found favour recently with research bodies and industry players searching for technological help to combat truck driver fatigue, including Toll, Ron Finemore Transport and Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC).
The tech provider is comfortable working with insurers, according to general manage – fleet Paul McGlone.
“Seeing Machines works closely with insurers in several countries today,” McGlone says.
“Partnering with NTI in Australia will open up significant opportunities to accelerate growth in our Fleet business locally and create new information based collaboration and services.
“We are delighted to be working with NTI who, like Seeing Machines, are focused on customer service as well as road safety.”
The partnership will also explore how heavy motor fleet insurance responds to the incorporation of Seeing Machines’ Guardian technology to reduce heavy vehicle road incidences and improve safety for all road users.
“Seeing Machine’s technology delivers real-time identification and understanding of driver behaviour through artificial intelligence [AI] analysis of heads, faces and eyes,” Hogarty says.
“It has the potential to shift what we accept as the safety benchmark in transport and logistics.”