By Onn Haran
According to NHTSA, distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,308 people in the US in 2022[1]. In addition, 421,000 injuries were recorded. Distracted driving includes any activity that diverts attention from driving, such as texting (which is the most prolonged distraction), eating and drinking, talking to passengers, or adjusting vehicle controls.
Driving distractions can be detected by the Driver Monitoring System (DMS), which began receiving 2 Safety Assist points in EuroNCAP grading in 2023[2]. This incentivizes the adoption of DMS in new vehicle models.
Driver distraction slows reaction time by up to 46% when driving while using a phone[3]. A DMS can alert Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to driver distraction, allowing for adjustments in operation to accommodate a longer reaction time. For instance, if a driver needs 2.5 seconds to react to a risk, a distracted driver might need 4 seconds, requiring an earlier warning.
However, early warnings are less reliable due to uncertainties in vehicle movement and potential driver actions. This is where Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication excels by enhancing warning reliability through:
- Extended detection range: V2X can detect and analyze risks from hundreds of meters away, providing precise road user parameters without the need for complex perception algorithms. In contrast, the reliable operation range of existing vehicular sensors is limited to tens of meters.
- Accurate data: V2X offers detailed kinematics data, including acceleration, heading, and yaw rate (road user’s angular velocity), enabling more confident calculations of future road user locations. These parameters are not obtainable with current vehicular sensors. For two-wheelers, even basic speed and heading measurements are imprecise with existing sensors, highlighting the significant advantage of V2X’s accurate data.
- Detection of obstructed road users: V2X can identify hidden road users, providing early warnings for potential risks, such as those emerging from obstructed intersections, before becoming visible to the existing vehicular sensors.
The necessity for a distracted driver to regain control of the vehicle parallels the requirements for automated driving disengagement. Thus, early indications are crucial, and V2X can aid in detecting complex disengagement scenarios in advance.
Despite efforts in education and enforcement, the rate of fatalities due to driver distraction has not decreased over the past decade. While DMS detection can offer some improvement, some drivers will inevitably remain distracted. For these drivers, V2X can deliver earlier and more reliable warnings, helping them to refocus on potential hazards and protect both themselves and others.
[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
[2] https://cdn.euroncap.com/media/70315/euro-ncap-assessment-protocol-sa-safe-driving-v101.pdf
[3] agilerates.com/advice/auto/texting-and-driving-statistics/
