As more stock arrives of fleet vehicles in 2024, Fleet Managers are dealing with a wave of driver complaints about the distraction from new safety technologies that have become common place in modern vehicles.
Based on the number speed alerts, notifications to stay within the lane, and warnings to keep eyes on the road; Fleet Managers are wondering if employees actually know how to drive safely.
One Fleet Manager told Fleet Auto News that, “the technology is forcing drivers to adjust their style and be less aggressive on the roads.”
Sections of automotive media have been very vocal about the intrusive nature of the constant warnings from the new wave of driver assistance technologies that have become a requirement to achieve a five star ANCAP rating.
There’s a feeling that some manufacturers have ticked the box to meet the latest ANCAP and NCAP testing protocols and forgotten about the impact on the driver. While other manufacturers have achieved the same result with a focus on the interface to reduce the annoyance.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia have recently announced some enhancements to the Driver Monitoring System (DMS) on the all-new Triton that will benefit the user experience.
“Since the All-New Triton’s launch in February this year, MMAL has been actively seeking feedback across several key stakeholders,” said MMAL CEO, Shaun Westcott. “This includes dealers and media, but also – crucially – All-New Triton customers.”
“In collating that feedback, we have leveraged our core market relationship with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to identify areas of potential future improvement that we believe can maximise our customers’ ownership experience.”
“The updated Driver Monitoring System software is evidence of our agility to respond quickly to stakeholder feedback,” he said.
The new DMS software continues to support the driver’s safety while reducing operational sensitivity to certain natural movements. The minimum speed threshold has also been raised.
“MMAL prioritises safety and is justifiably proud of All-New Triton’s five-star ANCAP safety rating – the first Pickup in Australia to meet the latest 2023 ANCAP protocols.” Westcott said.
“The calibration of DMS requires a fine balance, ensuring adherence to what are strict ANCAP safety protocols while not overly impacting the user experience.
“We’re confident the updated software further enhances the drive, while remaining five-star ANCAP safe,” he said.
The latest DMS calibration will be applied to all new Tritons sold, with immediate effect.
MMAL has also initiated a service campaign to support the updated DMS software rollout to existing customer vehicles. The software will be installed at the next service. Servicing dealers can also update the software outside the regular service schedule, should the customer request.
