Fatigue at the wheel is one of the major causes of serious vehicle accidents. The American Automobile Association (AAA) did an analysis of 2010 accident data and found tiredness to be a key contributing factor in 17 per cent of fatal accidents. In response to this problem, Bosch has developed a system to monitor steering inputs to determine the driver’s level of awareness. By measuring the steering-response time from the start of a journey, the system can determine when the driver is becoming tired and suggest a break by, for example, posting a message in the instrument cluster. A telltale sign of a tiring driver is the absence of steering inputs followed by quick and abrupt movements of the wheel. What makes this system unique is the steering-input algorithm, although drive time and distance are also considered. The latest vehicle fitted with this technology is the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack.
