How the mandatory fatigue and drowsiness detector works this year in new cars

On By Garmin Philip

The automotive sector continues to move towards a safer, more comfortable and more technological future. And among those great advances is the fatigue detector, a feature that will be mandatory from this year.

With each new year, security standards in almost every industry advance towards a safer world for all. We see it every day in such simple matters as radiators or boilers at home, but also the railways and airplanes that we use.

These advances have been coming to the car world for decades, where manufacturers have the obligation to adapt to these new measures. And our continent, Europe, is one of the most pushing in that direction.

In this sense, the European Union wants that by 2022 new cars mount a series of electronic assistants that help the driver to safely carry out all the trips of the week. From the one that takes 10 minutes to go shopping, to the one that takes 6 hours to go on vacation.

Among the most interesting measures this the fatigue and drowsiness detector, which has to prevent drivers from falling asleep at the wheel or losing reflexes while driving because of not paying attention to the road.

Tiredness, fatigue or sleep at the wheel reduce reflexes, concentration is compromised, vision is not as clear and the eyes begin to itch with constant blinking, explained in the DGT.

The DGT has sent a notice indicating that the registration of the mobile radar by the user would be illegal and that it could have consequences if a legislative reform is carried out.

And what this does is reduce reaction time, increasing the chances of having an accident. The DGT estimates that 20 to 30% of traffic accidents are related in one way or another to fatigue.

To detect fatigue, the system uses sensors on the steering wheel, a camera that focuses on the driver and the engine control unit itself.

Speed ​​cameras are already part of Spanish roads, drivers have gotten used to living with them despite how bad it feels to be fined. However, many are not really aware of all that these devices are capable of.

What the steering wheel does is analyze the pressure exerted on it, registering the movements of the hands, the changes of direction and if there are constant and abrupt corrections.

What the camera does is monitor the eyes, to count the blinks; the mouth, to see if there are gestures of fatigue such as yawning; and the position of the face, but if we stop paying attention to the road.

And, finally, the engine control unit, which is what tells us how many hours we have been on the road running. Because you already know that it is not advisable to travel more than two hours in a row.

After a year of testing DGT drones are already capable of issuing fines if they catch you committing an infraction at the wheel, but what kind of fines can these devices impose?

With all this, the fatigue alert system what it does emits a light signal on the instrumentation panel that warns the driver that he has exceeded the driving time without stopping. This is followed by another message announcing that you must make a rest stop.

In this way, the European Union wants road accidents to be gradually reduced so that by the end of the decade these will be a minor problem, with no deaths or injuries.

Reference-computerhoy.com