Cost-effective driver drowsiness detection

Bosch has revealed that its driver drowsiness detection system, first introduced as a standard feature in 2010, in the new Volkswagen Passat is being fitted to the new Passat Alltrack. Fatigue and microsleep at the wheel are often the cause of serious accidents. However, the initial signs of fatigue can be detected before a critical situation arises, and the Bosch system can do this by monitoring steering movements and advising drivers to take a break in time. The required information is provided either by
May 2, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
311 Bosch has revealed that its driver drowsiness detection system, first introduced as a standard feature in 2010, in the new 994 Volkswagen Passat is being fitted to the new Passat Alltrack.

Fatigue and microsleep at the wheel are often the cause of serious accidents. However, the initial signs of fatigue can be detected before a critical situation arises, and the Bosch system can do this by monitoring steering movements and advising drivers to take a break in time. The required information is provided either by the car’s electric power steering system, or by the steering angle sensor, which is part of the car's ESP anti-skid system. Bosch says that the feature can therefore be installed cost-effectively and helps further increase road safety.

The influence of fatigue on accidents has been demonstrated in a number of studies. In 2010, the 1765 American Automobile Association (AAA) published an analysis based on the accident data collected by the 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States. The assessment showed that overtired drivers were at the wheel in 17 per cent of all fatal accidents in the US.

Fading concentration and fatigue compromise the driver’s steering behaviour and response time. Fine motor skills deteriorate, and steering behaviour becomes less precise. The driver corrects small steering mistakes more often. The new driver drowsiness detection function is based on an algorithm which begins recording the driver’s steering behaviour the moment the trip begins. It then recognises changes over the course of long trips, and thus also the driver's level of fatigue. Typical signs of waning concentration are phases during which the driver is barely steering, combined with slight, yet quick and abrupt steering movements to keep the car on track. Based on the frequency of these movements and other parameters, among them the length of a trip, use of turn signals, and the time of day, the function calculates the driver's level of fatigue. If that level exceeds a certain value, an icon such as a coffee cup flashes on the instrument panel to warn drivers that they need a rest. The Bosch Driver Drowsiness
Detection function addresses an important aspect of the driver's condition, and can thus contribute to improving road safety.

Related Content

  • The downside of driverless vehicles
    October 27, 2016
    Driverless cars will have a detrimental effect on congestion and security while the road safety benefits can be achieved sooner and cheaper using ADAS, argues Colin Sowman. Many Governments are consulting about the introduction of driverless vehicles and even running trials. As 70% or 80% of crashes are caused by human error, the promise of a crash-free future of driverless, self-driving or autonomous vehicles (call them what you will) is alluring, as are the claims of reduced congestion and lower emissions
    Read More
  • Pricing practise for HOT lane operation
    May 11, 2017
    Timothy Compston weighs up the critical elements that keep the wheels of dynamic pricing schemes turning in today's high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. In the drive towards smarter tolling it is perhaps not surprising that sophisticated pricing algorithms are being rolled out to better reflect supply and demand on the roadway. This is the case with high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes which a growing number of DoTs are seeing as a way of smoothing the operation of their existing, and planned, freeway infrastructure
    Read More
  • Volvo Trucks aids safety on slippery winter roads
    December 20, 2013
    A truck safety solution developed by Volvo Trucks is said to minimise the risks posed to trucks with trailers by slippery winter roads and downhill gradients. Stretch Brake automatically retards the trailer and straightens up the rig on slippery downhill stretches. Stretch Brake is a complement to the rig’s electronic stability program (ESP), another system introduced by Volvo Trucks. While ESP is at its most effective at higher speeds, Stretch Brake is only operational at speeds below 40 km/h. Both syst
    Read More
  • Counting the environmental costs of ITS deployment
    October 29, 2015
    David Crawford looks at the latest thinking about calculating the benefits associated with the environmental side of ITS schemes. The penny is dropping that some environmental costs “are being shifted outside the traditional bounds of evaluation methods” for ITS-based road transport projects, according to researchers at the UK University of Leeds’ Institute for Transport Studies.
    Read More

Highlighted Content