The feature, called Rest, is the latest enhancement to Zego’s app-based telematics platform, Sense, and aims to identify and reduce the risk of fatigue-related collisions.
Integrated directly into the Sense app, Rest analyses driving behaviour to detect insufficient breaks and extended periods behind the wheel – both of which Zego’s data links to a sharp rise in accident risk. The feature builds on existing telematics metrics such as speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering, offering a more comprehensive picture of driver safety.
“Driver fatigue is a silent threat – it doesn’t always show up in the usual performance data like harsh braking or speeding,” said Sten Saar, CEO and founder of Zego. “With Rest, we’re surfacing a new layer of insight, helping uncover hidden risks and empowering drivers to take action before incidents occur.”
The feature draws on UK and EU rest guidelines to assess whether drivers are adhering to safe driving patterns. It flags risky days – such as driving for more than nine hours without appropriate breaks – and translates behaviour into a trackable rest score that contributes to the driver’s overall risk profile. This score can impact both performance insights and insurance pricing.
The statistics underscore the need for innovation. Fatigue is a factor in up to 20% of UK road accidents, with sleep-related crashes 50% more likely to result in death or serious injury. Commercial drivers are especially vulnerable, with 40% of fatigue-related incidents involving vans or lorries. Alarmingly, one in eight drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel, and just one in five takes the recommended break every two hours.
Scientific findings support the risks: being awake for 18 hours impairs driving ability to a level similar to a blood alcohol content of 0.05%, while 24 hours of sleeplessness is equivalent to 0.10% – exceeding the UK’s legal drink-driving limit.
“Rest is part of our mission to build a safer, fairer insurance model,” Saar added. “We’re giving drivers the tools to better manage fatigue and stay alert, which not only improves safety but also helps reduce claims and costs for everyone.”
Zego’s Sense platform is used widely among commercial drivers, particularly in the gig economy and fleet sectors. With the addition of Rest, the company hopes to drive awareness and behavioural change around one of the most avoidable – yet deadly – causes of accidents on the road.
