Ford’s wake-up call for UK’s sleepy drivers
With thousands of accidents caused every year by tired drivers, Ford’s new Driver Alert safety system could prove to be a life-saver.
Ford’s Driver Alert uses advanced technology and sophisticated algorithms to analyse driver performance and issues a warning if the driver shows signs of drowsiness or erratic steering.
The Driver Alert system comprises a small forward-facing camera connected to an on-board computer. The camera is mounted on the back of the rear-view mirror and is trained to identify lane markings on both sides of the vehicle.
When the vehicle is on the move, the computer looks at the road ahead and predicts where the car should be positioned relative to the lane markings. It then measures where the vehicle actually is and if the difference is significant, the system issues a warning.
First a soft warning will pop up in the instrument cluster as a text message and will stay there for 10 seconds with an accompanying chime. If the driver continues to demonstrate drowsy behaviour, a hard warning will appear in the instrument cluster which the driver must acknowledge by pressing an OK button.
Driver Alert is available as part of the optional Driver Assistance pack offered on Ford Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models and was most recently introduced on the new Ford Focus. The optional Driver Assistance pack for the Focus costs £750 and also contains Active City Stop, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Aid, Traffic Sign Recognition, Auto high beam and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS).
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Ford’s Driver Alert uses advanced technology and sophisticated algorithms to analyse driver performance and issues a warning if the driver shows signs of drowsiness or erratic steering.
The Driver Alert system comprises a small forward-facing camera connected to an on-board computer. The camera is mounted on the back of the rear-view mirror and is trained to identify lane markings on both sides of the vehicle.
When the vehicle is on the move, the computer looks at the road ahead and predicts where the car should be positioned relative to the lane markings. It then measures where the vehicle actually is and if the difference is significant, the system issues a warning.
First a soft warning will pop up in the instrument cluster as a text message and will stay there for 10 seconds with an accompanying chime. If the driver continues to demonstrate drowsy behaviour, a hard warning will appear in the instrument cluster which the driver must acknowledge by pressing an OK button.
Driver Alert is available as part of the optional Driver Assistance pack offered on Ford Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models and was most recently introduced on the new Ford Focus. The optional Driver Assistance pack for the Focus costs £750 and also contains Active City Stop, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Aid, Traffic Sign Recognition, Auto high beam and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS).
Find out more about Ford technologies
Return to overview page