According to research[1], approximately half of all collisions involving fatalities and serious injuries are thought to have been caused by driver preoccupation and inattention.
With more technology than ever before incorporated into automobiles, connectivity expert VNC Automotive thinks it’s time to acknowledge that the interior of today’s cars runs the risk of being just as distracting as the outside world.
Tom Blackie, CEO of VNC Automotive, claims that there has never been more competition for drivers’ attention.
“The traffic is heavier than ever. Vehicle interiors are dominated by touchscreens, and our lives are becoming more and more connected.
That indicates that there are now a lot more options for a driver to shift their attention elsewhere.
Additionally, modern cars are outfitted with systems eager to send a cacophony of alarms and cautions, reprimanding us for crossing a white line without signaling, or urging us to pull over when we are miles from the closest service station.
“They’ve developed into the ideal backseat driver…
driving in order to offer criticism, but without providing enough background for it to be helpful.
VNC Automotive’s CEO, Tom Blackie
How we got here is clear in retrospect.
The potential of purely passive safety features like airbags and crumple zones has already been reached[2], and no further advancements are anticipated going forward.
Additionally, occupant safety and aesthetic concerns have taken precedence over visibility.
This results in higher shoulder lines, substantial pillars, and smaller window openings, which reduce the driver’s field of vision.
In order to make up for this, the industry has embraced active technologies that rely on cameras, radar, and other sensors that are attached externally.
It seems like they are given greater driving responsibility with each new generation of vehicle.
The problem of driver attention isn’t actually being helped by manufacturers.
This method has become so established that testing organizations like Euro NCAP now require its installation before granting the full complement of stars, even going so far as to withhold points if a necessary function is not installed as normal.
Evidence[3] suggests that newer cars are now more likely to be involved in collisions, though.
It is particularly true at intersections and when joining traffic, situations where being distracted can be deadly.
More research is required on the effects of many brief looks, which are typical while using a touchscreen, for example, even if the risks linked to protracted glances away from the road, like when using a mobile phone, are well recognized.
Since our technology has been installed in 35 million vehicles globally, we’ve learned that there is a slight but important difference between an interface that provides a sleek window onto the digital world and one that burys essential functionality at the center of a labyrinth.
We create our user interfaces to minimize the requirement for confirming looks away from the road since we are proponents of technology that facilitates interactions by not getting in the way.
Perhaps it is now appropriate to acknowledge the gravity of this issue and request that our safety organizations provide formal assessments for in-vehicle distraction, says Blackie.
New developments are imminent.
Perhaps Euro NCAP is already on the scene. To be eligible for a perfect score in the Occupant Status Monitoring (OSM) category starting in 2023, cars must be equipped with direct driver monitoring[4].
Should a driver’s focus veer too far from the task of driving, the system will issue warningsb.
This makes it more likely that a motorist may receive a warning for, say, using a touchscreen menu to change the thermostat.
However, it might be an unpleasant issue that every automaker will definitely be eager to rectify.
However, it also opens up the prospect of modifying a car’s systems in reaction to the driver’s level of focus at the moment.
If a driver is perceived to be considerably more vigilant, ADAS systems like front collision warning may modify their sensitivity to offer less invasive input.
Conversely, if a driver’s attention is elsewhere, they may adjust their sensitivity to deliver warnings sooner.
In-car screens may even be able to be reconfigured to better suit the current scenario, such as by simplifying the display on a congested highway.
While this is happening, the industry continues to envision a time when options for drivers to divert their attention from the road would be justified by growing vehicle autonomy.
Understanding both physical and cognitive distraction will only become more crucial, says Blackie, “if we’re to expect drivers to be able to restore control should an aid feature not operate as intended.”
The project delivery has been optimized and packaged to provide turn-key integration, minimizing time to market while allowing the customer to completely customize branding and user experience. Its industry-accredited software is known for its high-quality and leading performance.
Sources
Report 1: Overview and Analysis of Crash Types, Injury Outcomes, and Contributing Factors, Enhanced Crash Investigation Study (ECIS), Fitzharris, M., Accident Research Center at Monash University
[2]
Deliverable D3 of the eIMPACT Consortium provides a methodological framework and database for the socio-economic evaluation of intelligent vehicle safety systems.
[3]
Field of vision of contemporary vehicles: an investigation to enhance the assessment of vehicle geometry based on actual accident situations recorded in the ADAC Accident Research, Pschenitza, M., et al.
[4]
Safety Assist Assessment Protocol for Safe Driving, Euro NCAP