1st December, 2005
- Driver Alert contributes to safer driving
- Many crashes result from driver fatigue
- Driver Alert recognises when the car is being driven in an uncontrolled way
- Alerts a tired driver before he/she falls asleep
- Warning text and audible signal
- Little risk of false alarms
- High reliability
Volvo Cars' long-term research and engineering innovation into occupant
protection have taken a decisive turn toward crash avoidance. Volvo Cars' new
Driver Alert is a world-first safety innovation that registers the car’s
progress on the road and alerts the driver before he or she falls asleep.
Driver Alert is a development of Volvo Cars' studies into the driving
characteristics of a fatigued driver behind the wheel. Volvo has applied for a
patent on the system that aims at prompting drivers toward make the right
decision, not at taking over the actual driving.
Driver fatigue is a major traffic-safety problem the world over. According to
the American NHTSA (National Traffic Safety Administration), about 100,000
vehicle crashes are caused every year on American highways by drivers who fall
asleep at the wheel. About 1,500 of these crashes result in fatalities and an
incredible 71,000 result in physical injuries.
In Europe the situation is very similar. The German Insurance Association –
GDV (Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft e.V.) – estimates that
about 25 percent of all fatal crashes on German motorways are a consequence of
tiredness.
Real crash statistics show that Volvo’s Driver Alert is an important
innovation. Driver Alert is primarily intended for situations when the risk of
falling asleep is greatest and where a possible crash would have severe
consequences.
For example, on a straight, smooth road the driver may become too relaxed and
where the temptation to increase speed is higher. The system steps in at speeds
above 65km/h and then remains active as long as the car’s speed does not drop
below 60km/h.
The Message is in the Movement Driver Alert monitors the car’s
movements and assesses whether the vehicle is being driven in a controlled or
uncontrolled way. This method is unique among vehicle manufacturers, and the
technology proves to be very dependable.
“We have chosen to monitor the car’s progress on the road instead of steering
wheel input or the driver’s eye movements,” explains Dr Wolfgang Birk, project
manager of Driver Alert at Volvo Cars. “This gives us a more reliable indication
if something is likely to go wrong, allowing the system time to alert the driver
before it is too late. We do not monitor human behaviour – which varies from one
person to another – but instead the effect of that behaviour. That is why there
is less of a risk of false alarms.”
The system also warns if the driver's concentration lapses for some reason
other than tiredness. The system is astonishingly adept and can detect if the
driver is focusing too much on the navigation system, audio system or children
in the car, issuing an alert before control of the car is lost.
Text messages and Audible Signals Warn Before Anything Happens From
the technical viewpoint, Driver Alert consists of a camera, a number of sensors
and a processor. The camera, which is installed between the windscreen and the
interior rear-view mirror, continuously measures the distance between the car
and the markings on the road surface. The sensors register the car’s movements.
The processor stores the information and calculates whether the driver risks
losing control of the car. If the risk is assessed as high, the driver is
alerted via an audible signal. In addition, a text message appears in the car’s
information display.
The driver's status is also scored and is available to the driver via the
car’s trip computer. The starting-point is five illuminated stars. The less
consistent the driving, the more stars go out.
“Driver Alert should not be confused with Lane Departure Warning, which
alerts the driver when a lane marker is passed,” says Dr Wolfgang Birk. Driver
Alert focuses on the way the car is being driven and provides a warning if the
car is being driven in an uncontrolled way. One crucial difference between the
systems is that Driver Alert responds without a wheel having to cross a line.
Driver Alert has been tested in cars and in simulators with excellent results
and very high dependability. “During our tests, the system never once missed a
driver who was falling asleep at the wheel,” says Dr Wolfgang Birk.
“Nonetheless, we will continue to test and fine tune the system until Driver
Alert is offered to Volvo’s customers. We expect it to be available within two
years.”
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