A camera-equipped smart device that monitors driving behavior will be installed in about 1,300 trucks belonging to the Inland Haulers and Truckers Association (INHTA). The camera will initially be placed in five trucks operated by Quicktrans Cargo Moving Inc. by the end of April.
As part of DRIVER PH (Drivers Roadworthiness Improvement Verification Education and Readiness for the Philippine Logistics Industry), data on speed, location, and temperature gathered by the smart device will be analyzed through machine learning and used to flag possible traffic rule violations.
“One important aspect of the project is its mobile and web-based application, which helps educate drivers through video tutorials and digitalized lessons,” said Felizardo C. Reyes, Jr., DRIVER PH project manager and computer science and information technology program chair of the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP), which developed the device. “We want to professionalize them.”
“Our drivers will know how to drive the right way. They will also learn about their rights on the road,” said Teddy S. Gervacio, Quicktrans chief executive officer, in the vernacular during a recent event organized by the Department of Science and Technology. “Truckers are movers of the economy.”
He added that DRIVER PH will address the shortage of drivers with the skills needed to steer large vehicles.
The Lobien Realty Group, in 2020, said that the Philippine logistics and trucking market is projected to become a P1 trillion market by 2023. It is forecasted to grow 8.2 to 8.8% between 2018 and 2024.
DRIVER PH, a one-year project, was funded by the DoST Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) program.
The Metro Manila Development Authority tallied an average of 178 total road crashes per day in 2020. In 2019, 15.33% of the total road accidents were truck-related.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Health have noted that driver awareness and attitude can minimize traffic altercations and protect road users. —Patricia B. Mirasol