Assessing driver fatigue

An innovative safety system that could reduce accident levels is being developed in Sweden.
February 27, 2012 Read time: 1 min
An innovative safety system that could reduce accident levels is being developed in Sweden. This new technology is intended to determine whether drivers are too tired to drive. Accident data shows that high levels of road accidents are caused by drivers who are too tired while at the wheel and this new system uses eye-tracking to test if the person is not in a fit state to drive. The test involves the person tracking a moving ball and of the eye movements show too slow a response, this reveals the state of fatigue. The aim is to introduce the system as a package for modern cars, similar to the alco-lock devices now installed on many vehicles. As part of the development project some 24 people have undergone tests on the system, which is being developed jointly with the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) at Linköping in Sweden. The Swedish police force has also expressed its interest in the technology for evaluating how tired drivers are to assess their state of fitness to drive.

Related Content

  • Sri Lanka is suffering a worrying increase in road accidents and road related fatalities
    April 19, 2012
    The latest data from Sri Lanka reveals a massive rise in road accidents and the deaths. Finding the root cause is not straightforward however and may be many complex causes for this scenario. Key factors have been identified by local experts however and these include reckless driving without adequate road discipline, the absence of an effective procedure for issuing driving licenses and a lack of any training procedures for drivers as well as other road users. Other key problems include deficiencies in the
    Read More
  • Using technology so assess road surface quality
    April 4, 2014
    Advances in survey technology and the evolving face of road procurement are driving demand for highway condition data. Mark Thomas, infrastructure services manager at Fugro Aperio writes how surveys of new roads can improve long-term quality While a growing suite of non-intrusive testing, measurement and survey technologies are widely used to target highway repairs and to determine asset management strategies, the use of these powerful tools remains patchy in the early stages of the infrastructure life cycl
    Read More
  • Easing temporary highway danger
    February 22, 2013
    Some of the latest speedometer technology has been successfully trialled in French highway work zones, while tireless work continues across Europe and the United States to reduce the number of work zone deaths and serious injuries involving road workers and motorists. Guy Woodford reports The number of roadworkers being killed and seriously injured on England’s motorways and major trunk roads more than doubled between 2007 and 2010 – from no deaths and 14 serious injuries. This rise has led to to major camp
    Read More
  • Innovations in machine control delivering performance
    May 20, 2019
    New innovations in machine control are delivering highperformance, with advances to come showing future potential – Mike Woof writes In transportation, the potential for autonomous vehicles that operate without the need for a human driver is now being evaluated. A string of development projects are underway by an array of automotive and technology companies, sometimes in partnership with each other. In the mining sector, autonomous machines have been operating in underground facilities for 20 years and
    Read More

Highlighted Content