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

  • EU rules extend the ‘long arm of the law’
    November 27, 2013
    New EU legislation allows authorities to collect fines from errant foreign motorists even after they have returned to their own country. New European Union legislation means drivers in many Member States can be prosecuted for breaking traffic laws when driving outside their home country. While not all the Member States will not be signing up to Directive 2011/82/EU facilitating the cross-border exchange of information on road safety related traffic offences, for those that do the deadline date to impleme
    Read More
  • Keeping a weather eye on road conditions
    September 26, 2014
    Drive C2X has shown that advanced warning of poor road conditions could cut fatalities, as David Crawford explains. Connected vehicle (CV)-based warning technologies could mean 6% fewer deaths and 5% fewer injuries in road traffic accidents in Europe, according to the final results of the European Commission (EC) co-funded DRIVE C2X project. According to the European Centre for Information and Communication Technologies (EICT) which provided management support, these “prove that CV systems work and can hav
    Read More
  • Eco-Counter cyclist detection systems
    February 19, 2018
    French company Eco-Counter will highlight several new products at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018, including the Citix-3D, Zelt inductive loops, and Eco-Display Compact. The Eco-Counter is a wide-range counter capable of automatically counting and differentiating pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles simultaneously. The company says the technology used is the result of five years of R&D, in partnership with a top European Research Lab (CEA), and 15+ years of industry-leading expertise. It is protected by six
    Read More
  • Research finds LED stop signs effect ‘similar to normal stop signs’
    February 5, 2014
    The results of a two-pronged investigation by researchers from the Minnesota Traffic Observatory at the US University of Minnesota on the safety related effects of flashing LED stop signs have just been released. They conducted two studies: a statistical study to compare the crash frequency after installation of a flashing LED stop signs at 15 intersections to a prediction of what that crash frequency would have been had the flashing LED stop signs not been installed; and a field study using video to exa
    Read More

Highlighted Content