Mexico suffers thousands of road accidents every year that always have a common factor: reckless drivers. For this, they want to develop a generation of smart trucks (isn’t there AI everywhere already?) together with MAN, a German brand highly recognized worldwide (surely the buses in your city also belong to this brand). These models include a system that prevents the vehicle from starting if it detects alcohol in the driver, it would be ideal in absolutely all vehicles, but for now they want to put an end to reckless truck drivers who put their lives and the lives of all users at risk.
This innovation is more than just a control, it comes with many functions, such as fatigue alerts, cyclist and pedestrian detection, adaptive control and emergency braking assistance. And this technology already works in countries like Peru, Chile and Colombia, and is about to arrive in Mexico too and transform road safety in the country.
How does the system work?
Very simple, the driver must blow into a mouthpiece installed in the cabin right before starting the truck (as if they were going through a police breathalyzer test). If the system detects traces of alcohol, the vehicle locks and will not start until another test confirms that the level is zero.
And if driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous, it is even worse when we are talking about huge vehicles that could end up in a huge tragedy. And accidents with drunk truck drivers are too many, and the Mexican State needs to completely eradicate those numbers.
Artificial intelligence also at the wheel
Beyond alcohol, MAN trucks integrate AI capable of analyzing driving habits, as mentioned a little above, the safety systems work like this:
- The crossing control keeps the proper distance with other vehicles
- If it notices that the driver is falling asleep it emits noises to prevent sleep
- It detects pedestrians and cyclists with automatic braking
- And it has assisted braking in case of emergencies.
Mexico needs this technology to save lives
The arrival of these trucks in Mexico would mean a before and after in terms of road safety. Accidents caused by alcohol consumption and driver fatigue, two of the most common factors in heavy transport crashes, would be reduced. And it is not that drivers are not responsible (some are not, clearly) but it is many hours behind the wheel with very long trips. This way, with this control, they would ensure that both the workers at the wheel and the rest of the citizens who share the roads with them are protected.
The Mexican road
The latest figures recorded were in 2023, and 12,099 collisions with 3,988 normal victims were registered. Although there is no specific data on how many of these accidents were caused by truck drivers under the influence of alcohol, the Mexican Institute of Transportation considers that causes such as speeding, drowsiness or alcohol consumption are among the top reasons for accidents.
So, even if it seems that they are shortening the freedoms of drivers, no. Nothing to do with that. They are protecting the drivers, those who behave well at the wheel and those who do not, because no one should get into a car and have it be their last trip just because a reckless person decided to risk their life. It is a matter of time to see these systems included also in passenger vehicles or personal vehicles.