What’s Next in Car Safety?8 Jul 2021 19:46
Lots in here for DMS & OMS
CR looks at the lifesaving innovations coming soon to cars.
Keep an Eye on the Driver
What it is: Automakers are increasingly adding advanced driver monitoring systems to make sure drivers pay attention to the road. Some can also detect whether a driver is unresponsive—because of either a medical emergency or another problem—and safely slow the vehicle and call for help.
Who has it: GM vehicles with Super Cruise can slow down and call for help if a driver is unresponsive.
How it works: Some vehicles that automate steering, braking, and acceleration use infrared cameras to ensure that a driver’s eyes are open and looking at the road; additional sensors monitor whether the driver is having trouble steering or staying in a lane. If the car’s built-in software detects these or other signs that the driver has become impaired, it will use its existing braking and steering automation to stop safely and may call emergency services using a built-in or paired cellular connection. Already, GM vehicles equipped with Super Cruise can slow to a stop in a travel lane, put on hazard lights, and call for help if the driver stops responding. The upcoming 2022 Lexus LS500h’s optional Emergency Driving Stop System will be able to pull the car to a stop on the shoulder in some cases.
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.
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/whats-next-in-car-safety/
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