Yawn alert! AI-powered truck cameras are rousing weary long-distance drivers

July 29, 2026

Fleet managers are increasingly depending upon AI to monitor their drivers, with AI-powered cameras trained to detect risky behaviour or weariness.

Companies like Netstar, a local technology and telematics specialist and subsidiary of JSE-listed Altron, offer state-of-the-art fleet management tools that lean heavily on AI.

A case in point is their AI camera alarm system. "A driver is alerted to the AI alarms via the main unit and in-cab visual indicator to avoid incidents before they occur," the company says in its product description. "The AI alarms provide a beeping sound, an audible in-cab voice message and an icon on the visual indicator. We will configure the alarms to suit your needs."

"Any time a driver yawns or closes their eyes, they will get a “Please Rest Now” trigger."

The camera is also able to detect when a driver puts a cellphone near their ears or mouth, or if a cigarette is in the driver’s mouth or gestures with a cigarette. An alarm is triggered if the driver is distracted – and looks downward or to the sides for a prolonged period -- or even if the driver's face is undetectable.

Recent data from the Department of Transport indicates that human behavior causes over 80% to 87% of road crashes in South Africa. Industry reporting notes that while traditional GPS telematics only reported after an event (e.g., hard braking), fleet operators are moving to AI cameras to catch pre-collision indicators—such as distraction, fatigue, or tailgating—in real time.

Gavin Kelly, Road Freight Association CEO, says in-cab cameras remain an industry talking point. "Driver monitoring systems can be used for a number of reasons, but the most important aspect is driver health and safety."

He says the systems are designed to alert both the driver the team monitoring the vehicle that the driver is possibly suffering from fatigue -- and to intervene before it may result in an accident.

"Cameras also play an important role in assisting drivers when criminals attack them and the vehicles, as well as showing what happened before incidents which has, in many cases, exonerated the drivers from blame."

"A collection of technology systems is required to ensure drivers remain safe - there is no "silver bullet" to ensure all risks are mitigated (or removed)."

"The best manner of dealing with fatigue is to ensure proper rest before, during and after shifts, to prevent back-to-back long shifts from occurring and to ensure drivers are properly allocated and monitored regarding driving exposure and prescribed rest periods," Kelly says.

Tracker, South Africa’s leading telematics and vehicle tracking company, says video telematics can play a crucial role in incident management and post-incident investigations. "These solutions can record forward or road, and rear or driver facing activity, among many other potential camera views, either continuously upon vehicle activation or in smaller, curated segments when initiated autonomously by a triggering event," the company says in a recently published advertorial.

"The footage, accessible through a wireless network with a smartphone, tablet, or computer-based application, has many uses, such as post-incident forensics to assign fault or exonerate a driver, safety improvement by fostering desired driver behaviours with video review and coaching, and compliance with regulations such as seat belt laws and hands-free rules. These factors, among others, contribute to the increasing adoption of video solutions in the industry."

Tracker last month confirmed a partnership with Geotab, a global leader in connected operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights, to enhance its business services offering through integrated telematics solutions for fleet operators.