Nauto AI Safety System Soars in Performance Study by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)

VTTI study reveals Nauto's system alerted in 100% of tested distractions in under five seconds.

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nauto^®, the leader in AI-powered safety and operations excellence for commercial vehicles, today announced the results of a new third-party performance study conducted in December 2024 by The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)¹, a globally recognized authority in transportation research. The study builds upon VTTI's original 2023 benchmark study, which tested safety systems across six distinct driving risk scenarios. Nauto excelled overall in both detection performance and fastest time to alert.

Key performance highlights include: 

• 100% detection of distracted driver events, day and night
• < 5 second time to alert for distracted driver events, giving drivers more time to react
• Up to 4x Faster Time to Alert for Distracted Driver Events than Previously Tested Systems

Commissioned by Nauto, this latest report highlights opportunities for fleets to help reduce collisions through faster alerts. Nauto's AI safety solution stood out for its accuracy and speed, and Nauto's own research shows that their customers report that it has delivered demonstrable safety and financial benefits for their companies. In an earlier NHTSA/VTTI study, it was estimated that 80% of collisions and 65% of near-collisions involve some form of driver distraction. These distraction events mostly occur within three seconds of a crash, illustrating why Nauto's fast, accurate alerts are so important and, according to Nauto customer data, have resulted in a 40-80% collision reduction for fleets using Nauto's AI safety solution. 

Building on its original 2023 benchmark study, where VTTI evaluated other fleet safety solutions across controlled driving scenarios, this recent study focused on evaluating the performance of Nauto's system under nearly identical conditions. The new study used the same key performance metrics as the 2023 study and looked at accuracy in detecting risky behaviors, alert speed, reliability in diverse environments, and lighting conditions.

Key study findings highlight Nauto's performance in alert accuracy and time to alert:

ALERT ACCURACY SUMMARY

TIME TO ALERT SUMMARY (seconds)

* Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, AI Dash Cam Performance Testing, December 23, 2024
** Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, AI Dash Cam Performance Benchmark Testing, June 30, 2023
*** In the 2024 study, the Nauto camera placement was restricted to only one location, whereas the first study had multiple locations which could impact system performance.

"VTTI's 2024 study underscores Nauto's position as the alert accuracy and time-to-alert performance leader in AI-powered fleet safety technology. According to the NHTSA and Nauto's own data, distracted driving is the most common cause of collisions. Nauto's ability to significantly deliver faster, more accurate alerts gives drivers critical time to react and helps prevent accidents," said Dr. Stefan Heck, CEO of Nauto. "Vehicles traveling 65 mph advance approximately 100 yards in three seconds. By alerting drivers to take action and return their focus to the road faster than other systems, Nauto helps drivers get home safely and has the potential to cut in half the number of collisions and potential fatalities on our roadways."

The findings of the latest VTTI study provide objective results to showcase Nauto's system performance. Nauto believes this will enhance fleet safety with results that are faster than other technologies, and empower their workforce on the road to protect their lives and livelihood, and protect their company's brand and reputation. Nauto's cutting-edge AI technology leverages insights from over 4 billion AI-processed driving miles, features advanced sensor systems to deliver unparalleled reaction and response times, and is currently being used by more than 1,000 fleets globally.

To learn more about Nauto's AI fleet safety solution or to view the full VTTI report, visit: https://nauto.com/VTTI.

¹ VTTI does not endorse any products.

2024 AI Dash Cam Performance Evaluation Methodology
The study included a test-track experiment to determine the rate at which the system provided in-cab alerts in response to specific driving behaviors and maneuvers. The study also assessed the rate at which the vendor virtual platform recorded alerts in response to the performed driving behaviors. The test-track experiment driving behaviors were performed between September 20, 2024, and December 12, 2024. The original 2023 benchmark study was published in June 2023. In the 2024 study, the behaviors and maneuvers were performed in two types of commercial vehicles: the first six specific driving behaviors were performed in a Class 8 tractor and the remaining driving maneuvers were performed in a light-duty commercial vehicle. There was a slight difference in system installation/placement between the 2023 study and this one. This study used one installation location while the 2023 study rotated each system through three installation positions.

Disclaimer 
This research was funded by Nauto. Although care has been taken to ensure complete and accurate study results, recipients of this document accept the possibility of unintended errors or omissions. The results expressed in this document about the recent study are based on data collected between September 20, 2024, and December 12, 2024, under specific testing conditions that may not apply to other circumstances. VTTI does not endorse any products.

About Nauto^®
Nauto is a leader in AI-powered safety and operations excellence for commercial fleets. Nauto simplifies day-to-day operations by consolidating driver and fleet safety, risk, and core telematics in a driver-friendly platform. Nauto's real-time safety solution with multi-risk fusion, built upon more than 4 billion AI-processed driving miles, delivers superior loss reduction outcomes, and provides advanced pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorcyclist detection and collision alerting. With Nauto, fleets are able to foster a culture of performance excellence as demonstrated by reduced collisions, costs, risk, and driver training and churn. Nauto is trusted by over 1,000 fleets worldwide and customers across multiple industry verticals have seen up to an 80% collision reduction.

About The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)
For over 30 years, The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has been a globally recognized leader in transportation research. VTTI conducts research to save lives, time, and money and protect the environment. As one of seven premier research institutes created by Virginia Tech to answer national challenges, VTTI is continually advancing transportation through innovation and has affected public policy on national and international levels.

SOURCE Nauto