Lux Express introduces additional safety measures on buses

Lux Express has introduced several changes to further improve passenger safety. The most significant addition is the installation of onboard cameras that monitor and alert drivers.

"Passenger safety is our top priority. That’s why we have drawn very serious conclusions from the accident in Estonia in July and implemented substantial changes to ensure that similar situations do not happen again,” explained Ingmar Roos, Member of the Management Board of Lux Express.

Already in August, Lux Express began cooperating with the Estonian company Mapdot. Buses were equipped with dual-lens Howen onboard cameras, one lens facing the road and the other facing the driver, to help detect potential hazards in advance.

“The built-in artificial intelligence in the cameras analyzes the driver’s behavior and driving habits in real time and immediately alerts the driver if they are not watching the road, looking at their phone, making aggressive maneuvers, not wearing a seatbelt, or if their attention is otherwise distracted. When a risk arises, the system instantly gives the driver an audible warning or instruction to refocus, and logs the incident with a video clip for later analysis,” explained Siim Kuriks, Sales Manager at Mapdot OÜ.

The same innovative solution is also used in road and hazardous goods transport, taxi services, forestry, agriculture, and other fields where it is important to ensure the safety of the driver, passengers, or cargo. “In practice, such a solution has proven particularly effective in preventing collisions caused by driver fatigue during long-distance journeys,” added Kuriks.

“This solution essentially provides the bus driver with a virtual assistant, an extra pair of eyes to support and help them on long trips. The two-week testing period has been successful, but before rolling it out across the entire bus fleet, we want to be confident that the system can detect risks even in challenging weather conditions. Our goal is to equip 20 buses with these safety-enhancing devices by the end of the year, and to install the same safety system in all Lux Express buses next year,” added Roos.

Although the official investigation of the July accident on the Pärnu highway is still ongoing, Lux Express carried out its internal inquiry within just a few days and concluded that the collision with a slow-moving truck on the roadside could have been avoided. Based on this process, the company decided to establish a permanent Traffic Safety Committee that will regularly analyze all hazardous traffic situations involving its buses on the roads.

“This committee includes representatives of bus drivers, their mentors, team leaders, and an independent expert from OÜ ProfDriver, whose specialists have long-standing experience in training bus and truck drivers,” explained Roos. “The committee’s analysis and decisions will help us create updated guidance materials to support drivers in preventing accidents. It will also allow us to adjust the content of our training programs accordingly.”

In addition to these changes, Lux Express is also providing all of its bus drivers with a hands-free system, since from time to time there are unavoidable phone calls that drivers must answer while on the road. “Answering the phone in the traditional way while driving remains strictly prohibited on our buses, and we maintain zero tolerance for any violation of this rule,” said Roos.