What should a driver do in case of fatigue. How does the driver fatigue recognition system work? Control methods

If only tired toys slept, then we would not have heard of any fatigue control systems. Nevertheless, people are also asleep, books, as the song says, are also asleep. At the same time, the statistics are relentless: every year tens of thousands of accidents occur due to the fault of drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel, and the latest security systems, including technologies that can recognize fatigue in the driver's behavior, are called upon to protect against them.

Research and the first developments in this direction appeared in the 1970s. For example, in 1977, Nissan received a patent from the American bureau entitled "A method for determining the degree of driver fatigue sufficient for safe driving." But in the 80s and 90s, the main attention of industry specialists was focused on less complex, but no less useful systems - such as, that is, systems that take into account the "physics" of the car, and not the "psychology" of the driver. And only when all the juices were squeezed out of them and only the path of their endless long improvement remained, the companies resumed their research in the field of "psychology" with renewed persistence.

But even here not everything is smooth. Some automakers have conventionally become supporters of the school of "behaviorism", while others - "psychoanalysis". The former argue that attention should be paid only to the actions of the driver. The latter want to dig deeper, down to facial expressions and gestures, which are a mirror of a person's inner world. The ranks of the former mainly include European brands and divisions - Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Volvo. Japanese companies gravitate towards the latter.

The task set for all systems is the same - to identify a tired or asleep driver and prevent him from doing the irreparable. Volvo was a pioneer in this difficult business, and its production cars were among the first to receive a workable Driver Alert Control system. The central role in it, as in many modern technologies, is given to electronics, which, with the help of a video camera, monitors the movement of the car relative to the road markings. As soon as the system detects that the frequency of steering and yawing exceeds the permissible norm, the driver will be "woken up" by a sound signal, and in addition to this, an icon in the form of a coffee cup will light up on the instrument panel. Thus, the car itself will offer the driver to pause and eat "tweaks".

Video demonstrating the Volvo Driver Alert Control system:

In the late 2000s, Mercedes-Benz also offered its counterpart called Attention Assist. "Mercedes" decided to do without cameras and use only steering wheel and pedal position sensors. In this case, the system analyzed the speed and frequency of steering wheel turns and pedaling. She had little inclinations to adapt to the driver's driving style, but still the pre-installed "portrait" of a vigorous and attentive driver remained the main reference point for her. Then the company taught the system to additionally take into account the time spent by the driver behind the wheel, the frequency of pressing the radio buttons, the climate control system, as well as the influence of external factors - side wind and road surface.

Similar systems are now available for more mainstream models such as the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat.

Japanese automakers continue to experiment with video cameras that scan facial expressions, blink rate and eye movements. Whose approach is more correct - time will tell. Nonetheless, fatigue monitoring can be useful for drivers who often make long trips, as well as during night travel, when "blankets and pillows are waiting for the guys."

Approximately 25% of all serious road accidents are caused by driver fatigue and, as a result, falling asleep while driving. The risk of falling asleep is greatest on long journeys, especially at night and in monotonous road conditions. Practice shows that after four hours of continuous driving, the driver's reaction is halved, after eight hours - six times.

The fatigue control system monitors the physical condition of the driver and, if it detects certain deviations, warns the driver about the need to stop and rest. There are three types of systems depending on how the driver fatigue is assessed. The first ones are based on controlling the driver's actions, the second ones - controlling the movement of the car, the third ones - controlling the driver's gaze.

Mercedes-Benz has been installing the system on its cars since 2011 Attention Assist, in which the control of the driver's actions was based on many factors: driving style, driving behavior, use of controls, nature and conditions of movement, etc..

The Attention Assist design integrates the steering wheel sensor, control unit, warning light and driver warning horn. The steering wheel sensor detects the dynamics of the driver's actions by rotating the steering wheel. In its work, the system also uses the input signals of sensors from other vehicle systems: engine control, directional stability, night vision, brake system.

The control unit processes the input signals and determines:

• driving style ( analysis of speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration for 30 min. after the start of the movement);
• driving conditions ( analysis of time of day, trip duration);
• using the controls ( analysis of the use of the brake, steering column switches, buttons on the control panel);
• the nature of the steering wheel rotation ( analysis of speed, acceleration);
• the condition of the roadway ( lateral acceleration analysis);
• the nature of the movement of the car ( longitudinal and lateral acceleration analysis).

As a result of the calculations, deviations in the actions of the driver and the trajectory of the vehicle are established. An alarm message about the need to take a break is displayed on the instrument panel display and a sound signal is made. If after the signals the driver does not stop and continues driving in a drowsy state, the system repeats the signals every 15 minutes. The system is activated at a speed of 80 km / h.

Unlike the Attention Assist system, the system Driver Alert Control, DAC from Volvo records only the character of vehicle movement on the road. A forward-facing video camera records the position of the vehicle in the lane. The deviation from the set motion parameters is considered by the system as the onset of driver fatigue. Depending on the state of the driver, the system implements two warning levels - "soft" and "hard". The levels differ in the volume and tone of the audio signal. The DAC system works in conjunction with the Lane Departure Warning system and is based on its structural elements. The system is activated at a speed of 60 km / h.

General Motors is implementing gaze monitoring to assess driver fatigue. Ready-made technology is taken as a basis Seeing Machines, which is used in aviation, rail transport, quarrying, commercial freight transport. A special block controls the degree of eye opening and the direction of the driver's gaze. If the driver detects inattention, fatigue or drowsiness, the system warns of the need to stop.

In addition to monitoring driver fatigue, the system can be used to activate certain vehicle functions using a directional gaze (look - on). In addition, if the driver does not use the rear-view mirror when changing lanes, the system will remind him of the need for this action.

According to statistics, one of the most common causes of car accidents is driver fatigue. Studies have shown that after four hours of driving, the reaction speed, as a rule, decreases by half, and already eight hours of travel show really catastrophic results - a sixfold slowdown in reaction. And since every car manufacturer has always strived to make its products as safe as possible, after the research carried out, the active development of a special sensor that determines the level of driver fatigue began.

The innovators in this area can be considered the Japanese company Nissan, whose specialists, already in 1977, patented a truly revolutionary automotive technology. However, due to active work in other areas, the first working system of this kind was implemented only a few years later.

In fact, Swedish Volvo were the first to use the new technology in practice, installing a system called Driver Alert Control, which included a camera that monitors the behavior of the car on the road, as well as the sensor itself, which measures the frequency and manner of steering wheel movements. The system gave out certain signals when the indicators of steering movements deviated too much from the norm.

Driver Alert Control invites the tired driver to stop and take a break with a cup of coffee

Later, Mercedes joined the two automotive giants. The system has undergone some changes: it was decided to remove the video camera and add a sensor that reacted to the frequency and force of pressing the pedal. In addition, the system was supplemented with indicators indicating certain norms. The sensors worked, giving a signal to stop when these indicators deviated to the maximum from normal. But such a system could not fit every driver. It was later changed somewhat. Sensors were also installed to detect the wind from the side and to assess the quality of the road surfaces. Also, sensors were added to determine the pressing of the buttons of the radio and climate control.

Similar systems are also used on Skoda and Volkswagen vehicles.

Today, the most common and are two types of system implementation. The first case involves a sensor measuring behavior on the road, which includes such characteristics as the force of pressing the brake and gas pedals, as well as the amplitude of the steering wheel movements. This type of system is used by Volkswagen, Mercedes, Volvo and Skoda.

If we talk about the Japanese segment of the market, then a slightly different method is used here. That is why most of all attention is paid to the psychoemotional indicators of the vehicle driver himself. For control, a video camera is used here, which is designed to track the facial expressions and gestures of the driver. First of all, the system is configured to respond when the eyes are closed by responding with a warning signal. It also analyzes how often the driver blinks, how deeply and measuredly he breathes, while recognizing when a person just blinks while driving, and when he closes his eyes.

In general, the system in both cases works in approximately the same way.

To begin with, the control unit collects and analyzes the information received from the cameras and sensors themselves. This approach is intended to significantly expand the capabilities of the system for recognizing existing conditions. After that, a certain driving style of each driver is analyzed and determined in order to subsequently adjust the system to individual parameters. Thus, the received data eventually becomes the established norm in the system.

In the future, the incoming information will be compared with predetermined values ​​of the norms.

The timing of the initial measurement for each brand is purely individual. Typically, the entire procedure takes 15 to 30 minutes.

In the event of a deviation from normal values, the system gives a warning sound signal to the driver, notifying the need to stop.

All vehicle drivers know that it is not always possible to get behind the wheel fully rested and slept, fully functional.

At the same time, almost everyone who is faced with overwork understands that in a tired state the driver cannot adequately react and make the right decisions. A tired and painful state can be compared with the state of a driver who has consumed alcoholic beverages, and in this case there is no need to talk about road safety.

An airplane pilot, a dispatcher, a person operating a nuclear reactor are never allowed to work without a medical examination, at the same time, many of us forget that a car driver is equated to this category, since he controls a source of increased danger to others.

According to clause 2.7 of the Road Traffic Regulations “The driver is prohibited from driving in a sick or tired state”.

If the driver is able to fatigue, the level of traffic safety is significantly reduced - fatigue negatively affects almost all the basic functions of human perception, as well as some psychophysiological characteristics.

First of all, visual perception suffers: a tired driver sees less distant or small objects on the road, cannot accurately determine the distance to a particular object or estimate the speed of movement of other road users. But not only the quality of perception is deteriorating - fatigue in the most negative way affects its organization: a tired person is slower to switch attention from one object to another. The driver who drives the car is able to fatigue, longer than usual, concentrates attention on individual objects encountered by him, and reacts more slowly to sudden changes in the situation on the road.

Fatiguecan also negatively affect a person's memory - many drivers noticed that at the end of a long trip, they spend much more time not only on signal detection, but also on its assessment, that is, on processing the information received. In phase fatigue a person usually shows two types of undesirable reactions - both overly slow and too fast.

Usually fatigue develops during long driving trips and reveals itself already at 4-5 hours of driving. In another couple of hours fatigue begins to be felt clearly, and drivers who have been driving for more than 9 hours maintain their physical tone exclusively by their own volitional efforts.

If working capacity the driver drops sharply (this, as a rule, occurs during long, many hours of driving), the risk of a traffic accident increases significantly.

The driver, feeling drowsy, can overcome it for some time and drive the car quite reliably, but he must know that falling asleep can come suddenly and he may not notice this moment, which poses a very serious threat to road safety. Therefore, if you have drowsiness while driving, then you should not fight it on the go. You need to stop and sleep for a short time or do gymnastic exercises. Only after the drowsiness has been relieved can you continue the journey.

A characteristic sign of oncoming fatigue can be the appearance of seemingly insignificant erroneous actions: absent-minded attention, a desire to straighten up, change a posture. With such signs of fatigue, you must immediately stop moving. The first signs of fatigue that appear after several hours of driving are not dangerous for the driver and can be easily eliminated with a short rest. It has been proven that with the same rest time, several short breaks are significantly more effective than one long break.

The “risk group” among drivers are, as a rule, drivers engaged in passenger, intercity and international transportation, as well as drivers of heavy vehicles.

Dear drivers! Fatigue or sickness while driving can lead to a serious traffic accident. Do not rush to come home and relax, as such actions can lead to irreparable consequences. The best solution in such a situation would be a short rest on the way!

OGIBDD propaganda department.

According to statistics, more than half of all road accidents are somehow related to driver overwork. Fatigue is especially pronounced when the driver sits behind the wheel without getting enough sleep.

A driver's reliability is largely determined by his performance.

Performance decreases when the driver is sick, after drinking alcohol, when he is tired, and sometimes as a result of strong nervous excitement or depression.

Fatigue has a negative impact on all the basic functions of the driver's body and psychophysiological qualities necessary for safe driving.

As a result of fatigue, the characteristics of visual perception deteriorate: its thresholds increase, contrast sensitivity decreases, the accuracy of assessing the distances to objects and the speed of their movement decreases. Visual fatigue directly depends on the length of the working day. For example, after 8 hours of continuous operation, the driver will see a road sign not 100 m away, but 80 m away.

With fatigue, memory weakens, which affects the speed of information processing, the reaction changes, it becomes excessively slow or, on the contrary, very fast.

As a result of fatigue, a breakdown of previously formed skills occurs. The working posture changes, the seating position becomes deeper with a typical forward tilt of the body or backward tilt, which makes it difficult to use the steering wheel, pedals and levers, impairs the view of the road and the observation of instruments.

As studies of the process of development of fatigue in drivers show, it is detected already at 4-5 hours of driving, it is clearly felt at 6-8 hours, and by the end of 9 hours willful efforts are already required to maintain movement at a safe level. up to 12 hours, then the degree of possible getting into an accident becomes 2 times more often, if over 12 hours - 9 times more often than with a working day of less than 7 hours.

Fatigue is a natural process of temporary decrease in working capacity that occurs as a result of work.

Increased energy consumption contributes to the progression of fatigue and, as a result, there comes a time when, despite increasing efforts, errors occur, omissions of necessary actions, and a decrease in labor productivity in terms of quantitative and qualitative indicators. Fatigue is usually preceded by a feeling of tiredness.

Fatigue is a person's subjective experience of fatigue. The physiological essence of fatigue is to signal the body to stop or reduce the intensity of work in order to avoid disturbances in the functions of nerve cells. Fatigue affects complex types of mental activity, reduces the readiness for action in case of a sharp change in the situation on the road.

When driving in conditions when there are no other road users on the road, the driver will feel fatigue faster in a monotonous landscape than when driving in a busy city traffic.

Fatigue can be emotional, physical, and mental. The driver's job combines all three types of fatigue. Most of all, the driver gets tired emotionally. This arises from the constant willingness to act quickly in order to avoid accidents.

In some situations, hasty actions are required from the driver, which are close to the limit of psychophysiological capabilities - this causes quick fatigue. With prolonged driving, tension arises both in the muscles of the trunk and the muscles of the limbs. Fatigue associated with muscle weakness develops. To relieve stress, it is necessary to take breaks for 15-20 minutes every 2 hours.

Mental fatigue occurs with prolonged and intense mental work. People get tired of it no less than from physical. This is due to the high energy consumption of the brain cells.

The mental work of the driver manifests itself during heavy traffic at high speeds and consists in continuous assessment of the situation on the road and quick decision-making. This work can be performed in conditions of time pressure and strong emotional stress.

The most common forms of mental states that develop in the course of production activities and adversely affect the driver's performance are transcendental mental stress.

Outrageous (excessive) forms of mental stress reduce labor efficiency and underlie the operator's erroneous actions.

The driver's mental activity is stimulated by the incoming information. For the course of mental processes at a high level, an optimal information load is required. Excessive information as a result of excessive stress of mental processes leads to a more rapid development of fatigue. With a lack of information, the intensity of the course of psychophysiological processes decreases, which leads to a decrease in the driver's readiness for action in case of an unexpected change in the traffic situation.

To maintain the necessary intensity and stability of attention under these conditions, a significant volitional effort is required, which is also associated with the expenditure of neuropsychic energy and leads to premature fatigue.

Drowsiness and falling asleep of the driver while driving are the most dangerous manifestations of fatigue, which often lead to road accidents. The driver, feeling drowsy, can overcome it for some time and drive the car quite reliably, but he must know that falling asleep can come suddenly and he may not notice this moment, which poses a very serious threat to road safety.

Dreams can be so sudden that they are perceived as reality. There were cases when drivers saw pedestrians or animals on the road in a dream and, suddenly waking up, began to brake or turn off the road, which led to traffic accidents.

Falling asleep while driving is not necessarily a consequence of overwork; it can be caused by a monotonous environment. When the landscape does not change for a long time, the speed does not change and the engine noise is clearly audible, so-called drowsiness can occur.

According to research data, 23% of drivers are fully susceptible to this condition, 74% are in a mild one, and only 3% are not affected at all.

To prevent sleepy intoxication, you need to be distracted, but not for long. Therefore, if the driver develops severe drowsiness while driving, then you should not fight it on the go. You need to stop and sleep for a short time or do gymnastic exercises. Only after the drowsiness has been relieved, you can continue the journey.

A characteristic sign of oncoming fatigue can be the appearance of seemingly insignificant erroneous actions: absent-minded attention, a desire to straighten up, change a posture. With such signs of fatigue, you must immediately stop moving. The first signs of fatigue that appear after several hours of driving are not dangerous for the driver and can be easily eliminated with a short rest.

It has been proven that with the same rest time, several short breaks are significantly more effective than one long break.

The following types of fatigue were identified: compensated and uncompensated.

With compensated fatigue the driver can force himself to concentrate on the road.

With uncompensated fatigue the driver cannot overcome the violations that have arisen, as a result of which the probability of errors increases significantly.

So, for example, after several hours of work, the first signs of fatigue appear, but they can be easily eliminated with a short rest.

With severe overwork, even a night's sleep will not help relieve the signs of fatigue.

The need for psychophysiological support of the driver's professional activity in conditions of high functional load is obvious.

On the basis of psychological relief, psychological regulation, psychophysiological diagnostics and functional safety checkpoints, a wide range of non-drug drugs is used, such as aroma and phytotherapy, sound and color therapy, the practice of special breathing and rhythmic exercises with elements of relaxation and methods of activating attention, preventive techniques that increase visual acuity and activity of brain cells.

An accident-free driver is a driver who has the ability to self-control over his condition, realizing the inadmissibility of going on a flight in a state of illness, psychological overexcitement, fatigue or fatigue.