Traffic accidents caused by drowsiness are a severe problem. Various scientific studies estimate that between 24 – 33% of accidents of serious accidents can be attributed to drowsiness.
Though common sense tells you not to drive when you’re tired, plenty of groggy drivers venture out onto America’s thoroughfares anyway. Mercedes-Benz’s Attention Assist system combats drowsiness and distraction by warning the driver when it detects abnormal steering.
Using a steering sensor and special software, Attention Assist measures 70-plus parameters of driving behavior during the first few minutes of operation, from which it establishes a unique driver profile. It then refers to this profile at speeds between 50 and 112 mph to identify a drowsy driver’s erratic steering correction. When the driver starts to exhibit certain behaviors associated with drowsiness, an audible warning sounds, and a visual warning illuminates.
