• Driver Alert contributes to safer driving
• Many crashes result from driver fatigue
• Driver Alert recognises when the car is being driven in an uncontrolled way
• Alerts a tired driver before he/she falls asleep
• Warning text and audible signal
• Little risk of false alarms
• High reliability

Volvo Cars' long-term research and engineering innovation into occupant protection have taken a decisive turn toward crash avoidance. Volvo Cars' new Driver Alert is a world-first safety innovation that registers the car’s progress on the road and alerts the driver before he or she falls asleep.

Driver Alert is a development of Volvo Cars' studies into the driving characteristics of a fatigued driver behind the wheel. Volvo has applied for a patent on the system that aims at prompting drivers toward make the right decision, not at taking over the actual driving.

Driver fatigue is a major traffic-safety problem the world over. According to the American NHTSA (National Traffic Safety Administration), about 100,000 vehicle crashes are caused every year on American highways by drivers who fall asleep at the wheel. About 1500 of these crashes result in fatalities and an incredible 71,000 result in physical injuries.

In Europe the situation is very similar. The German Insurance Association – GDV (Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft e.V.) – estimates that about 25 percent of all fatal crashes on German motorways are a consequence of tiredness.

Real crash statistics show that Volvo’s Driver Alert is an important innovation. Driver Alert is primarily intended for situations when the risk of falling asleep is greatest and where a possible crash would have severe consequences.

For example, on a straight, smooth road the driver may become too relaxed and where the temptation to increase speed is higher. The system steps in at speeds above 65km/h and then remains active as long as the car’s speed does not drop below 60km/h.

The Message is in the Movement
Driver Alert monitors the car’s movements and assesses whether the vehicle is being driven in a controlled or uncontrolled way. This method is unique among vehicle manufacturers, and the technology proves to be very dependable.

“We have chosen to monitor the car’s progress on the road instead of steering wheel input or the driver’s eye movements,” explains Dr Wolfgang Birk, project manager of Driver Alert at Volvo Cars. “This gives us a more reliable indication if something is likely to go wrong, allowing the system time to alert the driver before it is too late. We do not monitor human behaviour – which varies from one person to another – but instead the effect of that behaviour. That is why there is less of a risk of false alarms.”

The system also warns if the driver's concentration lapses for some reason other than tiredness. The system is astonishingly adept and can detect if the driver is focusing too much on the navigation system, audio system or children in the car, issuing an alert before control of the car is lost.

Text messages and Audible Signals Warn Before Anything Happens
From the technical viewpoint, Driver Alert consists of a camera, a number of sensors and a processor. The camera, which is installed between the windscreen and the interior rear-view mirror, continuously measures the distance between the car and the markings on the road surface. The sensors register the car’s movements. The processor stores the information and calculates whether the driver risks losing control of the car. If the risk is assessed as high, the driver is alerted via an audible signal. In addition, a text message appears in the car’s information display.

The driver's status is also scored and is available to the driver via the car’s trip computer. The starting-point is five illuminated stars. The less consistent the driving, the more stars go out.

“Driver Alert should not be confused with Lane Departure Warning, which alerts the driver when a lane marker is passed,” says Dr Wolfgang Birk. Driver Alert focuses on the way the car is being driven and provides a warning if the car is being driven in an uncontrolled way. One crucial difference between the systems is that Driver Alert responds without a wheel having to cross a line.

Driver Alert has been tested in cars and in simulators with excellent results and very high dependability. “During our tests, the system never once missed a driver who was falling asleep at the wheel,” says Dr Wolfgang Birk. “Nonetheless, we will continue to test and finetune the system until Driver Alert is offered to Volvo’s customers. We expect it to be available within two years.”

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