DENSO Corporation has announced it has released a retrofittable driver status monitor to help reduce the number of traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses. The safety product checks for distractions, drowsiness, sleep, and inappropriate posture based on the driver's facial image, which is captured through a camera installed in the cabin. If drowsy or distracted driving is detected, the monitor voices an alert. It is now sold by DENSO Sales and DENSO service stations across Japan and will be released outside the country later this year.

Large commercial vehicles can cause serious damage in an accident, and many trucks and buses do not have the latest safety devices installed because they've been in use for so many years. The driver status monitor is retrofittable to existing vehicles on the road, and can therefore accelerate the introduction of safety devices to large commercial vehicles.

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