Drowsiness-detection system warns drivers to prevent them falling asleep momenta rily Mercedes-Benz accident researchers warn against

falling asleep momentarily whils t driving. Drivers who do not take regular breaks when driving long distances ru n a high risk of becoming drowsy a state which they often fail to recognise early enough according to the experts. This is why Mercedes-Benz has developed the inn ovative ATTENTION ASSIST system, which can detect when drivers start to become d rowsy and prompt them to take a break before it's too late. The system is fitted as standard in the new E-Class and 2009 S-Class. Enlarge

Scientific studies conclude that around 25 percent of all serious motorway accid ents are down to driver drowsiness, meaning that drowsiness causes more road acc idents than drink-driving. Enlarge

The risk of falling asleep momentarily is at its greatest on long-distance journ eys in the dark or in unchanging conditions because this is when drivers are mos t likely to suffer a lapse in attention. The sheer monotony further heightens th e risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Studies show that, after just four hours of non-stop driving, drivers' reaction times can be up to 50 percent slower. So the risk of an accident doubles during this time. And the risk increases more th an eight-fold after just six hours of non-stop driving! The newly developed ATTENTION ASSIST system sees Mercedes-Benz continuing to ado pt a practically-oriented stance towards accident avoidance. A stance which has already lead to a proven improvement in road safety thanks to developments such as the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Brake Assist. ATTENTION ASSIST observes the driver's behaviour and, at the start of every trip , produces an individual driver profile that is then continuously compared with current sensor data. This permanent form of monitoring is important for detectin g the floating transition from awakeness to drowsiness and for warning the drive r in plenty of time. The system is active at speeds of between 80 and 180 km/h. At the heart of this Mercedes system is a highly sensitive sensor which allows e xtremely precise monitoring of the steering wheel movements and the steering spe ed. Based on these data, ATTENTION ASSIST calculates an individual behavioural patte rn during the first few minutes of every trip. This pattern is then continuously compared with the current steering behaviour and the current driving situation, courtesy of the vehicle's electronic control unit. This process allows the syst em to detect typical indicators of drowsiness and warn the driver by emitting an audible signal and flashing up an unequivocal instruction on the display in the

instrument cluster: "ATTENTION ASSIST: Break!"

2. Mercedes-Benz Launches Drowsy Driving Device View All Alerts May 14, 2010 Researchers at Mercedes-Benz closely studied more than 550 male and female drive rs and the physiological indicators that occur when fatigue sets in while drivin g. The research shows that drowsy drivers demonstrate a pattern of lane drifts a nd making minor steering errors that are often corrected quickly and abruptly. These in-depth studies led to the development of technology to monitor driver an d vehicle variables called "Attention Assist," which includes highly sensitive s ensors that continuously monitor and observe the driver's behavior across 70 dif ferent parameters. Among the monitors is a highly sensitive steering angle senso r that recognizes patterns of minor steering corrections, which proves to be a v ery strong measure of the driver's condition. Once the system recognizes a drows y driving pattern it emits an audible and visible warning in the form of an espr esso cup icon and "time for a break" alert on the instrument panel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) more tha n 100,000 police-reported crashes, resulting in 1,550 deaths and another 71,000 injuries each year are caused by drowsy driving. The problem is significant enough that several states are considering legislatio n that would allow police to charge drowsy drivers with criminal negligence. New Jersey is currently the only state that specifically criminalizes drowsy drivin g in a fatal crash by classifying it as recklessness under its vehicular homicid e statute. This past November, Mercedes-Benz and the National Sleep Foundation joined force s during Drowsy Driving Prevention Week to raise awareness around the issue. Do you r part to combat drowsy driving by getting enough rest before hitting the road a nd spreading the word that drowsy driving kills. Average: 3.666668 18 votes Your rating: Cancel rating Poor Okay Good Great Your rating: None Copyright Notice: All materials contained on this site are protected by United S tates copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, display ed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of the National Sleep Foundation. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. Links to Web sites other than those owned by

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