DS Automobiles has announced the installation of driver monitoring technology in its vehicles ahead of the EU’s 2022 safety deadline, which will make it mandatory for all new cars to be fitted with fatigue alert systems.
The introduction of new laws passed earlier this year will make driver drowsiness and distraction warning mandatory on all new cars across the EU from 2022.
According to the Department for Transport Reported Road Casualties, Great Britain’s 2017 annual report, there have been 4,000 accidents and 150 fatalities caused by driver fatigue in the UK since 2015.
Designed to help keep drivers alert and prevent them from falling asleep at the wheel, DS’s Driver Attention Monitoring system, could help “save around 50 lives a year on UK roads”, according to the car maker.
The system, already available on the DS 7 Crossback, comprises a pair of driver-facing cameras, mounted above the steering wheel and at the top of the windscreen, monitoring three physical signs of distraction or drowsiness; movement of the eyes, eyelids or neck.
If any of these are detected, an audible alert is set off and a warning notice appears on the digital instrumentation display.
At the same time, vehicle position monitoring technology tracks the car in relation to road markings and warns the driver with an audible alert if there are any sudden or unexpected steering movements.
The combination of these technologies enables the DS system to monitor drivers for warning signs of distraction and drowsiness, thereby maximising the window in which a driver can be warned and encouraged to take steps to counter against it.
DS Automobiles’ head of product, Vince Clisham, said: “Distracted and tired drivers are a serious safety threat on roads across the UK and it is the cause of thousands of accidents a year, with some ending in fatalities.
“This serious issue can benefit from the latest technologies available, which is why we have made our DS Driver Attention Monitoring technology available across the range on DS 7 Crossback.”
