The PANACEA project has contributed to advancing road safety by developing a comprehensive, 24-hour driver monitoring solution. This innovative solution focuses on detecting and managing various driver impairments and states, including fatigue, stress, alcohol and drug consumption, and distraction. By targeting these critical factors, PANACEA aims to improve fitness to drive among professional drivers and riders, ultimately reducing collisions and contributing to safer transport networks.

Throughout the project, extensive real-life and simulator testing was conducted with diverse driver groups and operators across Europe, providing valuable insights into the solution’s usability, acceptance and its impact on driver behaviour:

Sweden: Shuttle operators embraced the solution’s fatigue detection capabilities. They responded positively, appreciating how the technology could enhance their alertness and overall safety on the road.

Greece: Here the response was mixed among professional drivers. Taxi drivers exhibited cautious adoption rates, perhaps due to concerns about privacy or workflow disruption. In contrast, courier riders demonstrated significant potential for improvement. 70% of them reported potential behaviour changes after receiving fatigue alerts, indicating a willingness to enhance sleep habits and attentiveness.

Spain: Coach drivers were initially sceptical about the new technology. However, as they engaged with the solution, it showed promise in raising awareness about the risks associated with fatigue. This led to discussions about driver well-being and safety practices within their professional community.

These pilot studies highlight that PANACEA’s solutions have varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the driver type and operational context. The feedback gathered provides a solid foundation for further solution refinement and supports the case for broader implementation across different transportation sectors.

The project also demonstrated economic benefits. By investing in advanced driver monitoring solutions like PANACEA, transport companies can achieve substantial cost savings. These savings stem from a reduction in road collisions, which in turn leads to lower insurance premiums and fewer operational disruptions. The positive cost-benefit ratio underscores that PANACEA’s approach not only enhances safety but also delivers tangible financial value to both transport companies and society at large.

Aligning with the EU’s Vision Zero targets, the outcomes of the PANACEA project contribute to a future with zero road deaths. By offering a proactive approach to managing driver impairments, the solution enhances safety for drivers and the wider public alike. The project’s achievements represent a significant step forward in creating safer roads and healthier driving environments for professional drivers across Europe.

As the PANACEA project concludes, we extend our gratitude to all partners, participants, and stakeholders who contributed to its success. Together, we’ve made significant strides toward a safer future on the roads.

Throughout the final year of the PANACEA project, the effectiveness of the PANACEA solution was evaluated in the three Use Cases: Use Case A (Shuttle buses, Sweden), Use Case B (Delivery service riders and taxi drivers, Greece) and Use Case C (Coach drivers, Spain).

The main results of the evaluation will be made available on the website shortly here. Some of the main conclusions were:

• Despite some technical hurdles, participants showed a positive attitude towards the system, believing it can enhance future road safety.
• The comprehensive countermeasures targeting both drivers and fleet operators are among the most effective.
• The PANACEA system’s holistic approach and innovative solutions have the potential to enhance safety and health in the transportation industry.

You can also find out a more about the Use Case evaluation in our latest podcast here.

The third and final year of the PANACEA project was a bumper year for attending conferences and events to spread the word about the project. PANACEA partners attended 13 different events in total. Here’s an overview of the events they went to and what they talked about.

International Symposium on Intelligent Technology for Future Transportation (ITFT 2024), October 2024
AIT had a poster accepted at this event – PANACEA: FITNESS TO DRIVE From detection to intervention – a holistic solution for Commercial transport stakeholders

SKYDD, October 2024
Sensor developer and PANACEA project partner, SENSEAIR, took the PANACEA project to this event, the Nordic region’s largest exhibition for safety and security, fire fighting, rescue work and personal protection.

ICTCT2024 (International Cooperation on Theories and Concepts in Traffic safety), October 2024

Loughborough university had a poster accepted at this conference – Assessing the Impact of Real-world Countermeasure Trials – an example from the PANACEA project.

The Road Safety and Simulation International Conference – October 2024

Loughborough University and VTI had a joint poster/extended abstract selected at this conference: Facilitating the conversation: Fatigue countermeasure for autonomous shuttle operations

AHFE, July 2024

VTI had an abstract selected at this conference – Framework for the evaluation of a holistic fitness-to-drive system for commercial drivers in the PANACEA project.

Fluid Human-System Interaction Symposium – June 24

AIT had poster selected for this conference – PANACEA: Fitness to drive: From Detection to Intervention – a Holistic Solution for Commercial Transport Stakeholders.

Transport Research Arena – April 2024

The PANACEA project was asked to join the European Commission stand at the 2024 version of TRA and it was an important opportunity to show the PANACEA system in action.

Several PANACEA project partners also had posters, presentations and abstracts accepted at the event:

• Prof. Ashleigh Filtness, Loughborough University, presented a poster: Influencing Alertness Through Remote Coaching for Professional Drivers
• Christer Ahlström, VTI, presented: Next day effects of social drinking on driver fatigue and driving performance
• Davide Shingo Usami, CTLup, presented: Improving Professional Drivers’ Behaviour through a Cloudbased Coaching Approach
• François Brambati, Deep Blue, presented: A User Centred Validation Methodology for Assessing the Cross Modal Transferability Impact of Technologies

SAFER Exhibition – March 2024

The PANACEA project and solution were present at this event celebrating 50 years of traffic research.

Urban Mobility Days – October 2023

PANACEA had a stand at this European Commission conference focusing on all things urban mobility, including safety. As well as giving and overview of the project, visitors to the stand were also able to see how the system would work by blowing into an alcohol sensor.

Humanist VCE – September 2023

PANACEA partners from Loughborough University had an abstract accepted at this conference – Developing Countermeasures to Improve Fitness to Drive in Professional Drivers.

11th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH (ICTR) – September 2023

Both CERTH and VTI attended this conference held in Greece, where they presented the PANACEA project and the PANACEA system.

MEETECH, May 2023 and BIOSPAIN, September 2023

LEITAT brought their drug detection device to both these Spanish events, one focusing on technology and innovation and another on biotech. They showed how the device worked and how it’s being used in the PANCEA project.

International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2023, July 2023)

AIT had an abstract accepted at the AHFE conference entitled – Beyond Detection: Intervention Approaches in Driver State Monitoring Systems.

The PANACEA final event took place online on 10 September.

During this webinar we presented details of how the integrated fitness to drive monitoring and assessment system was built, how the countermeasures were selected and designed and what the outcomes were from the pilot sites.

We also looked forward towards the impact of the project for example on future standards and the regulatory environment. Lastly, Ari Helttunen, a shuttle operator, shared his views on the PANACEA system.

The agenda and all the presentations can be found below.