Innovations for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Each April, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month highlights the need for improved road safety. As distracted driving continues to be a leading cause of accidents, innovative solutions are essential to protecting fleet operators and commercial vehicle drivers. At Work Truck Week 2025, industry leaders gathered to discuss the latest advancements in commercial vehicle safety, including AI-powered technologies designed to prevent accidents.

Among them, Steve Henning, Executive Editor at CVBNetwork.com, sat down with Alex Trkulja, Director of Sales at Safe Fleet, a Clarience Technologies Company, to explore how emerging technology is shaping a safer future for drivers.

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Fleet Managers Are Prioritizing Safety in 2025

Henning kicked off the conversation by highlighting a major trend: 99% of fleet managers are expected to increase their focus on safety, particularly around automation, AI, and cameras. “My thought was, I need to chat with Alex,” Henning said. “I bet they’ve got something going on that covers at least some of that.”

Trkulja confirmed this shift, explaining that they’ve been innovating heavily in AI-integrated cameras. “Last year we really focused on developing our AI-integrated cameras and technology for the year 2025,” he shared. “So this year all of our standard backup cameras, our flagship systems, our 360 systems, all have AI built into them.”

To further combat distracted driving, Safe Fleet’s fleet video systems provide real-time visibility and driver behavior monitoring. These high-definition safety cameras and proximity sensors help fleet managers spot unsafe driving habits, coach better practices, and reduce liability risks. Safe Fleet emphasizes providing drivers with the visibility they need to safely navigate busy roadways and alerting them to vehicles in their blind spots, thereby avoiding collisions and costly repairs. By integrating AI-powered video solutions, fleet operators can proactively address distractions, ensuring drivers remain focused and aware behind the wheel.

Tackling Real-World Safety Challenges

Trkulja also described a customer-driven innovation: the AI Ledge. A fleet operator approached Safe Fleet after struggling with delivery drivers falling off the backs of trucks, leading to serious injuries and lost productivity. The company responded by combining their AI camera technology with an ECCO light system, developing a fall mitigation solution that provides both audible and visual alerts when a driver is at risk.

“This system is going to revolutionize step vans, box trucks, tractor trailers, and even appliance delivery,” Trkulja explained. “Customers have also reimagined it for lift gates, so that operators don’t get their toes slammed.”

Connecting Safety to National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

With National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in full swing, these innovations couldn’t be more timely. Trkulja noted that they repurposed their camera system, used for applications like counting children on school buses, and combined it with their AI systems. “We basically married two technologies that we had to come up with this AI Ledge fall mitigation system,” he said.

Watch the Full Interview

For a deeper dive into these safety advancements, check out the full Work Truck Week 2025 interview featuring Steve Henning and Alex Trkulja  here. Their conversation sheds light on the future of commercial vehicle safety and the steps being taken to protect drivers on the road.