Press ESC to close

Those annoying car warnings could save your life, study says

A new study into drowsy driving suggests those annoying beeps in many new cars could save your life.

The research, conducted under the Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) Road Safety Research Program, found that around 30 per cent of motor vehicle crashes and one in five fatal crashes are caused by drowsy driving.

Researchers looked at fatigue detection technologies (FDT) available in new cars or aftermarket accessories and found that the most effective were those that monitor driver eye movements and sound early warnings when drivers are fatigued.

Fleet managers and drivers from Telstra, Martins Haulage and Hazeldene’s Chicken work with researchers to help test various technologies in controlled environments and in the real world.

Hundreds of new car deals available via car expert Now. Get the experts on your side and get big rewards. Browse now.

The results follow a 2022 U.S. study that concluded advanced safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning can reduce the chance of injury by more than 50%.

In this latest Australian study, technology designed to detect when a car has drifted into the wrong lane, such as lane keep assist, was found to be a poor indicator of fatigue levels, as was a device that measures a driver’s heartbeat through steering wheel sensors. Their effectiveness is limited because they rely on the driver keeping their hands on the steering wheel at all times.

The research comes after Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC) found one in three Australians said they were very tired when driving, and one in five were so tired they struggled to open their eyes while driving.

AAA managing director Michael Bradley said the research was based on feedback from key industry organisations.

“Fleet and safety managers told AAA that a lack of information about emerging technologies is a major barrier to its adoption,” he said.

“That’s why the Automobile Club of Australia is investing $1.2 million through the Road Safety Research Program to provide practical resources to drive the adoption of these technologies and deliver real road safety improvements.”

AAA said the research provides fleet managers with a practical guide that can assist individual drivers, but will be particularly useful for fleet managers who must balance business efficiency with keeping their employees safe on the road.

this Fleet Fatigue Detection Technical Guide It is free and can be downloaded here and more information about the Road Safety Research Program is available here.

Driver attention systems can use cameras to detect eye movements, or they can use torque sensors in the steering shaft.

If the camera is obscured or detects closed eyes, or if the torque sensor cannot detect input, a driver attention alert will sound.

As part of its new car assessment, safety agency ANCAP has a category called “Safety Assistance” that tests how well car technology reduces the risk and severity of accidents.

Systems such as seat belt reminders, automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist were evaluated, along with cruise control and, most relevant to AAA’s study, driver monitoring systems.

The safety-assist test measures a car’s ability to read and react to its surroundings, which could include pedestrians crossing the street or other vehicles suddenly stopping ahead.

The better a car handles unique scenarios, the higher the score. When it comes to driver monitoring, a car would score highly if it could always identify when a driver was distracted and appropriately remind them to pay more attention to the road.

While driver assistance systems can help make vehicles safer, a study conducted in the United States earlier this year showed that drivers become overly reliant on them.

Studies have found that when other systems, such as semi-autonomous driving, are enabled, drivers are often eating, grooming or using electronic devices.

The study also found that drivers became more complacent as they became accustomed to the car’s systems, although most warnings did not continue beyond the initial call for attention.

A large number of new cars sold in Australia are equipped with driver monitoring technology, including cars from Tesla, MG, Great Wall Motors, Subaru and the infamous Mitsubishi Triton ute.

More: Study shows how new car safety tech is distracting people
More: Mitsubishi Triton’s most annoying feature is getting fixed

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Canopy Tents Professional Customization

- Sponsored Ad -
Canopy Tents Professional Customization