Sainsbury's has announced a major safety upgrade for its fleet of 3,800 online grocery delivery vans, equipping them with AI-powered cameras to monitor driver behaviour and record collisions. The supermarket giant, in a move to enhance road safety, will install double-facing cameras in each vehicle, capturing both the driver and the road ahead.
How the Safety Cameras Work
The cameras will operate continuously but only record when a red light is displayed, indicating an incident. They remain active for 10 minutes after the ignition is turned off and only save footage when something noteworthy occurs, such as a collision or a safety breach. If the system detects a driver not wearing a seatbelt or appearing drowsy, a vocal alert will sound.
Successful Trial Results
The rollout follows a trial involving approximately 100 vans and 300 drivers earlier this year. The results showed a 77% reduction in safety incidents and a 57% decrease in harsh braking, demonstrating the technology's effectiveness.
Company and Union Support
A Sainsbury's spokesperson stated: "Following a successful trial with hundreds of drivers, we're rolling out safety cameras across our grocery delivery fleet as part of our ongoing commitment to colleague safety. The results were hugely encouraging. This technology, already widely used by delivery companies, provides real-time hazard alerts and only records when a potential incident is detected."
The cameras will be installed between June and October, with a two-week adjustment period for drivers. Sainsbury's consulted with drivers and the Usdaw union ahead of the rollout. Bally Auluk, Usdaw national officer, commented: "Usdaw continues to work closely with Sainsbury's on measures to improve colleague safety, and we have seen the benefits of the successful trial. We recognise the challenges delivery drivers may face on the road, and we support steps employers take to help keep colleagues safe and ensure our members are not incorrectly blamed for incidents which are not their fault."
The union pledged to monitor the technology to ensure it is used only for its intended purpose of improving driver safety.
