Potential for driver attention monitoring system development

12403892Final Report; Jan 1984 - June 1984PDFTech ReportDOT-HS-806-744DOT-TSC-NHTSA-85-1Intelligent vehiclesAttention lapsesAlertnessDriver monitoringDistractionHuman factors in accidentsAutomobile driversUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationBishop, H.Madnick, B.Walter, RobertSussman, E. DonaldJohn A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Human FactorsVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterThe objective of this effort was to determine the potential of developing techniques andmethods for reducing the occurrence of highway accidents attributable to degradeddriver alertness.Lapses in driver alertness are thought to be a maior factor in the causation ofserious motor vehicle accidents. The most recent NASS data was analyzed to determinethe extent of this problem.Potential methods and techniques for reducing driver alertness-related problems includethe development and use of:o Vehicle subsystems which automatically detect reduced driver alertness througherratic driving and make the driver aware of the problem and/or slow or stop thevehicle (e.g., eyelid-droop meters);o Vehicle subsystems which amplify sub-threshold signals and make them more apparentto the driver (e.g., radar-based obstacle detection and warning systems); ando Vehicle subsystems which automatically detect unsafe conditions and slow or stopthe vehicle (e.g., radar-based braking systems).This study focused on the potential of devices to detect driver alertness problems andconcluded with recommendations for the development and performance of a demonstrationprogram to further evaluate these techniques and methods