Amazon drivers say they are being unfairly punished for things out of their control following the installation of AI-powered cameras in delivery vans.
Amazon started to install Netradyne cameras in its delivery vans earlier this year and as of September, more than half its delivery fleet in the U.S. was using the cameras. The online shopping giant says the cameras as there to improve safety but some drivers claim the cameras have caused them to lose income.
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The advanced four-lens camera records and analyzes the face and body of drivers during their entire shift. Motherboard spoke with delivery drivers in California, Texas, Kansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma who say the cameras will punish them for things like looking in a side mirror, interacting with the radio, stopping prior to a stop sign, or even when drivers are cut off by other vehicles.
Each time the camera detects a so-called “event,” footage is uploaded to a Netradyne interface that is accessible to Amazon and the third-party delivery companies it uses. Footage impacts a driver’s score at the end of each week for safe driving. These scores determine bonuses, prizes, and extra pay.
“Every time I need to make a right-hand turn, it inevitably happens,” one delivery driver told Motherboard. “A car cuts me off to move into my lane, and the camera, in this really dystopian dark, robotic voice, shouts at me. It’s so disconcerting. It’s upsetting when I didn’t do anything.”
Read More: Amazon Introduces AI Cameras In Delivery Vans, Driver Quits Over Privacy Concerns
Netradyne’s cameras can also determine if a driver yawns, isn’t wearing a seatbelt, or appears to be distracted, all while collecting biometric data about drivers. However, drivers state that the cameras aren’t always right.
“The Netradyne cameras that Amazon installed in our vans have been nothing but a nightmare,” a former delivery driver said. “They watch every move we make. I have been ‘dinged’ for following too close when someone cuts me off. If I look into my mirrors to make sure I am safe to change lanes, it dings me for distraction because my face is turned to look into my mirror. I personally did not feel any more safe with a camera watching my every move.”
Amazon spokesperson Alexandra Miller claims the company introduced the advanced cameras to help drivers “stay safe when they are on the road.” Miller says that accidents have decreased by 48 percent and stop sign and signal violations have dropped by 77 percent since the cameras were implemented. Additionally, driving without a seatbelt has decreased by 60 percent, distracted driving has decreased by 75 percent, and following distance has been decreased by 50 percent.
Despite this, some drivers are so fed up with the cameras that they have started to place stickers over the lenses or wear dark sunglasses to circumvent the hyper-sensitive distracted driving monitor.
Documents from Amazon reveal that delivery companies must register less than five “distraction events” per 100 delivery routes to earn a ‘fantastic’ score and be eligible for bonuses.
