Asleep at the wheel

Nodding off while driving a car can be extremely dangerous to your health and that of other road users. To counter the likelihood of that happening, engineers at Volvo have recently developed a new system that will alert a driver when his or her concentration level appears to be affected, for instance during long journeys.

The new driver alert control system will be available in the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 models by the end of the year.

The system steps in at 65km/h and stays active as long as the speed of the vehicle exceeds 60km/h. In use, it monitors the car's movements and assesses whether the vehicle is being driven in a controlled or uncontrolled way.

'We do not monitor human behaviour - which varies from one person to another - but the effect that fatigue or decreased concentration has on driving behaviour. Our system is based on the car's progress on the road. It gives a reliable indication if something is likely to go wrong and alerts the driver before it is too late,' explained Daniel Levin, project manager for driver alert control at Volvo Cars.