Stay awake with Saab

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Finding ever more ways to be oh-so Swedish and safe, Saab is developing a system that detects when drivers become sleepy or inattentive and uses a chime or a stern recorded voice to sound an alert. With laudable pragmatism, Saab calls this its Driver Attention Warning System, but try to stay awake, because it’s an ingenious piece of technology.

One infrared camera at the base of the car’s A-pillar works in conjunction with another located in the center console, both of which are focused on the driver’s eyes. When his or her eyelids are closed for longer than a normal blink, or when the driver isn’t directing his or her gaze forward, the system will chime while a dash readout says: ‘Tired?’

If this pattern of behavior continues, a speech message will come through the audio system saying: ‘You are tired.’ Another nudge comes from a vibration in the seat cushion. Then it eventually loses all patience, intones that ‘you are dangerously tired’ and demands that the driver ‘stop as soon as it is safe to do so.’

Call it tough love. About 20% of car accidents occur because of dozing drivers. Quite a few of those are fatal because there wasn’t the chance to hit the brakes or take evasive action. The interesting thing, of course, is that Saab has some of the most comfortable seats in the whole automotive world.

-- Colin Ryan