Have you ever fallen asleep or felt very tired while driving a car? If no, you are probably a responsible driver. However, if yes, that is exactly what drowsy driving is. It’s also known as driver fatigue or tired driving. The most common cause of that is microsleep which “refers to periods of sleep that last from a few to several seconds. People who experience these episodes may doze off without realizing it. Some may have an episode in the middle of performing an important task”[1].
According to research done by AAA Foundation[2], “Drowsy driving accounts for about 100,000 crashes annually on the roadway, 71,000 injuries and 1,55o fatalities each year”. Moreover, in 2019 more than 1,200 drivers who were involved in fatal crashes reported being drowsy[3]. All those statistics prove that drowsy driving may create some serious threats on the roads.
However, there might be a solution for that. Namely, a polish high school student, Maksymilian Paczyński had founded a system called FATIK (Fatigue Detection Model to Prevent Accidents). The programme analyses eyes closing, yawning and head stoop of the driver. Later those symptoms are being analysed by neural networks of the programme which in case of an emergency turns on the alarm to prevent from microsleep. It also enables to collect data in order to create a profile of the driver and works whether it is daytime or night-time driving.[4]
Currently on the market we may find some other solutions for drowsy driving, for instance Mercedes Benz’s Attention Assistant; “ATTENTION ASSIST relies on an algorithm and specialized sensor to detect driver fatigue. During the first few minutes of your drive, the system analyzes your personal driving habits using over 70 different types of parameters. A key component of the sensor features the ability to record steering movements and steering speed.”[5]. However, according to research done about drowsiness[6], the physiological detection (which includes the eye movement and head swaying) occurred to have the highest accuracy rate, but this technology has not been fully developed yet.
The FATIK system is going to receive financing, so in the nearest future we will be able to track the development of this system. Let me know in the comments what do you think about this solution!
[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/microsleep
[2] https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/drowsy-driving-statistics/#drowsy-driving-statistics
[3] https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/drowsy-driving-statistics/#drowsy-driving-statistics
[4] https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/teen-scoops-top-award-for-groundbreaking-ai-programme-that-stops-drivers-dozing-off-at-the-wheel-26412
[5] https://www.mercedesbenzofeaston.com/mercedes-benz-attention-assist/
Even though I never fell asleep while driving, I did get tired at times. The product you presented is something that, in my opinion, should be in every car as standard equipment. Without a doubt, it is a device that is able to save many lives in the future. I would gladly buy it for myself and will follow the progress of work on the device.