By Charles Dawson, CEO, AutoSense Australia For a long time, fleet safety has been built around compliance. Logbooks, policies and procedures all have their place. But they’re designed to show rules are being followed, not whether risk is actually being managed in real time. That gap is becoming harder to ignore. A driver can be fully compliant on paper and still be operating in a state of significant impairment. Poor sleep, disrupted routines, or underlying fatigue can all i

Easter travel, disrupted sleep and shifting daylight hours are set to collide in a perfect storm on New Zealand roads this long weekend - a period already associated with heightened road trauma.

Routine changes, increased traffic and seasonal shifts could impact driver alertness – even before a shift begins. Easter may bring quieter roads for some operators, but fatigue experts are warning it can also introduce less visible and often underestimated risks for fleet safety.

Eighty-two per cent of work-related fatalities in New Zealand’s transport and warehousing sector involve vehicles[1], underscoring what safety leaders describe as one of the under-governed workplace risks. AutoSense CEO Charles Dawson says that while vehicle incidents remain one of the most common causes of workplace death[2] in New Zealand, for many organisations, it is a health and safety blind spot. “Driving is the work activity most likely to result in serious harm[3], ye

AutoSense, a leading New Zealand provider of fleet and driver safety solutions, is strengthening its presence in Australia with the launch of LifeSaver Mobile, a first-of-its-kind app designed to stop distracted driving before it starts.

Mobile-phone distraction remains one of the biggest risks for drivers, with Waka Kotahi data showing that in the past three years, 283 drivers in fatal or injury crashes were distracted by a phone....

As schools return for term one, New Zealand roads are about to re-enter their most dangerous daily window - and it’s not late at night or on long-haul routes.

Greg Murphy still remembers the moment his life changed behind the wheel. Driving late at night, tired, and with alcohol still in his system, on a road he’d driven “heaps of times before,” he lost control of his Datsun 1200 – spinning 180 degrees, sliding down a bank and hitting trees, one of which struck just inches behind the passenger seat.

Building on the success of the Transport Leaders Forum, AutoSense presents the newly named NZ Fleet Forum — returning to Auckland and Christchurch in February 2026 with a powerful agenda that puts driver wellbeing firmly in the spotlight. Hosted by AutoSense and proudly sponsored by NZI, the Fleet Forum equips fleet managers and business leaders with practical tools and insights to support both light- and heavy-vehicle drivers. The focus this year is on the critical link betw

As daylight saving begins this Sunday, Kiwis may welcome the brighter evenings and promise of summer BBQs, but the switch comes with a darker side. Health data shows the sudden disruption to body clocks has measurable consequences: hospitals in Michigan, US found heart attacks spike by 24 percent on the Monday immediately following the spring shift[1], while a 2024 review of 12 studies confirmed a four percent increase in risk across the two weeks that follow[2] setting clock

AutoSense Vision Focus provides reassurance for drivers and fleet managers For more than five years, Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras have become the standard across the entire Foodstuffs North Island fleet, including all company-owned trucks and owner-driver units, and even overflow vehicles. The driver safety system is proven to detect driver fatigue and distraction. Fleet Safety Manager Blair Inglis, says since April 2025 the business has doubled down and started introd

How policy can prevent the next tragedy. When a driver sent 45 Snapchat messages from behind the wheel of her truck before ploughing the 30-tonne truck and trailer unit into a stationery ute last year, the driver of the ute was killed[1]. New Zealand vehicle safety and training experts AutoSense says the tragedy underscores the importance for businesses to have safeguards in place to protect their workforce from more preventable harm on our roads. The safety business has inst

Fatigue and sleep health expert Kat Aubrey leads World Sleep Day talk To mark World Sleep Day on Friday 14 March, vehicle safety and training experts AutoSense will host a free webinar, Make Sleep a Health Priority presented by fatigue expert Kat Aubrey. Date: Friday, 14 March 2025 Time: 12:00 - 12:45 pm Online via Microsoft Teams Kat says an astounding 59 driver fatigue events per day* were recorded last year by Guardian cameras installed by AutoSense in New Zealand vehicles

Freezing your pillowcase, putting ice in your water, and eating a green apple at 3 pm may not be the norm for most truckies,

These are the essential features NZ transport companies need In the demanding world of New Zealand transport, where long hours and challenging road conditions are a constant, ensuring driver and freight safety is more than just a priority - it’s essential. With the ongoing risks of driver fatigue and distraction, businesses need a solution that goes beyond basic monitoring. Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) are designed to track behaviour and intervene when needed. A DMS reduce

Ashley Taylor - National Support Manager, Mainfreight Australia Mainfreight Australia is powering up their driver safety efforts with the installation of nearly 600 MiTAC units from AutoSense in their rigid, local fleet vehicles. With around 180 Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras already installed in their line haul (interstate) trucks, Mainfreight Australia National Support Manager Ashley Taylor says adding MiTAC to their arsenal is an obvious next step for their local flee

Dr Angus McKerral to speak in NZ next week Dr Angus McKerral Inside Seeing Machines’ Canberra headquarters, an alarm has been sounding every thirty seconds for the past forty hours. Unlike a noisy suburban house alarm often ignored by neighbours, Seeing Machines Human Factors Research Scientist Dr Angus McKerral, is paying close attention to the high pitched chime. McKerral and his research colleagues are designing a new alert for the company’s driver safety technology, Guard

Company safety priority is a lifeline for drowsy drivers ‘Safe work, safe home’ is the motto of Hilton Haulage, the nationwide transport business that places driver wellbeing firmly in the front seat. A three-month trial of Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras in six of its truck and trailer combinations identified instances of driver fatigue, leading the company to implement the technology across their entire fleet of over 200 vehicles. In an AutoSense podcast hosted by Greg

Dave Letele tightens the belt on obesity in the transport sector If you can only do one thing to look after your health, stop drinking fizzy drinks. That’s the advice of Dave “The Brown Buttabean” Letele, a former professional boxer, ex-rugby league player, and founder of life-changing community weight loss programme BBM. Once clocking in at 210kgs, Dave knows first-hand the risks associated with obesity, and he is urging Aotearoa New Zealand’s truck drivers to heed his call.

Sir John Kirwan shares his Triple-A Battery tips for keeping drivers on top Breathing, walking slowly and savouring your morning coffee may not sound like a revolutionary medical treatment, but if you’re a truck driver struggling with your mental health, it may just be the lifeline you need. In an AutoSense podcast hosted by Greg Murphy, former All-Black and mental health advocate Sir John Kirwan (JK) says transforming ordinary tasks like these into daily rituals can help saf