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Drowsy Driving: A Canada-wide menace (Part 1 of 2)
Forget about downing coffee, blasting music, or even winding down the window as you speed along in minus 30° weather - these quick fixes for drowsy driving won't save your life. Neither will the latest drowsy driving detection systems, though their warnings might urge you (very strongly!) to stop and take a break.
Now standard on some car models, several automakers have developed alert systems to detect driver fatigue based on different driving parameters, which are programmed to recognize such factors as irregular steering or wandering out of lanes, to name a few.
Mercedes-Benz has developed an ATTENTION ASSIST system that analyses no less than 75 driving parameters. When it detects any sign of drowsy driving, it displays a coffee cup icon on the dashboard and sounds a warning to remind the driver that it may be time to pull over and rest. However, the system only works when you're driving over 80 km/h.
Lincoln also offers a similar system, as does Volvo. In fact, Volvo's Driver Alert Control system both detects erratic lane changing and monitors steering. If your steering is irregular, the system sounds a warning and also displays a coffee cup icon. Even Bosch has jumped on the bandwagon, and has perfected a system of its own. As it happens, most automakers now offer drive-assist systems - they, too, can sense when vehicles change lanes or veer off-course.
Nevertheless, a study published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggests that such detection systems may actually increase the risk of accidents by 10%. How so? Without speculating too much about the root causes behind these figures, the researchers claim that some drivers find these alarms annoying and switch them off. Others simply choose to ignore them.
Automakers, however, are sceptical about these results, and maintain that there are not enough vehicles equipped with this technology on the road today. Indeed, given the small sample size of the study, its results can not be said to establish reliable statistics.
But, it's important to remember that, above all, these systems are not fail-proof - it's really up to drivers to heed the warnings and to pull over and take the break they need.
Enjoy your trip and safe driving!
Drowsy Driving: A Canada-wide menace (Part 1 of 2)
Forget about downing coffee, blasting music, or even winding down the window as you speed along in minus 30° weather - these quick fixes for drowsy driving won't save your life. Neither will the latest drowsy driving detection systems, though their warnings might urge you (very strongly!) to stop and take a break.
Now standard on some car models, several automakers have developed alert systems to detect driver fatigue based on different driving parameters, which are programmed to recognize such factors as irregular steering or wandering out of lanes, to name a few.
Mercedes-Benz has developed an ATTENTION ASSIST system that analyses no less than 75 driving parameters. When it detects any sign of drowsy driving, it displays a coffee cup icon on the dashboard and sounds a warning to remind the driver that it may be time to pull over and rest. However, the system only works when you're driving over 80 km/h.
Lincoln also offers a similar system, as does Volvo. In fact, Volvo's Driver Alert Control system both detects erratic lane changing and monitors steering. If your steering is irregular, the system sounds a warning and also displays a coffee cup icon. Even Bosch has jumped on the bandwagon, and has perfected a system of its own. As it happens, most automakers now offer drive-assist systems - they, too, can sense when vehicles change lanes or veer off-course.
Nevertheless, a study published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggests that such detection systems may actually increase the risk of accidents by 10%. How so? Without speculating too much about the root causes behind these figures, the researchers claim that some drivers find these alarms annoying and switch them off. Others simply choose to ignore them.
Automakers, however, are sceptical about these results, and maintain that there are not enough vehicles equipped with this technology on the road today. Indeed, given the small sample size of the study, its results can not be said to establish reliable statistics.
But, it's important to remember that, above all, these systems are not fail-proof - it's really up to drivers to heed the warnings and to pull over and take the break they need.
Enjoy your trip and safe driving!