New tech in cars8 Jul 2021 17:06
CR’s take: Monitoring should at least be active when both speed and steering assistance are in use, because the driver is at risk of becoming complacent, says Kelly Funkhouser, CR’s program manager for vehicle interface testing. But that technology can also be used to detect behavior indicative of a health problem or intoxication. Based on data collected from NHTSA’s National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey from July 2005 to December 2007, an estimated 20,000 drivers annually crashed as a result of a medical emergency, such as a heart attack, seizure, or blackout behind the wheel. Drivers older than 65 are more likely than younger drivers to have medical emergencies while driving. In an August 2020 CR survey of 2,236 American adults, 81 percent of respondents said it was at least somewhat important to them that their next vehicle come with a system that can stop the car and call for help if they are unable to drive. “These systems could combine new and existing technology to help drivers when they need it most,” Funkhouser says.
Occupant monitoring gets a mention too with Hyundai using radar, hey what if the driver monitor could monitor the occupants too and be hidden in the rear view mirror? That’s gotta be cheaper right?
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/whats-next-in-car-safety/