Swedish car maker Volvo announced that it will be installing cameras and sensors inside its cars from the early 2020s to monitor drivers’ behavior and detect signs of distracted or drunk driving.
In a press release, Volvo stated that it is hoping to reinforce its reputation for safety-first driving through its new features.
With the cameras and sensors, the car will be allowed to intervene such as limiting the car’s speed, alerting the Volvo on Call assistance service, and actively slowing down and safely parking the car as a final course of action once it detects a clearly intoxicated or distracted driver.
“When it comes to safety, our aim is to avoid accidents altogether rather than limit the impact when an accident is imminent and unavoidable,” says Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Cars. “In this case, cameras will monitor for behaviour that may lead to serious injury or death.”
The intervention will take place once behaviors such as complete lack of steering input for extended periods of time, drivers who are detected to have their eyes closed or off the road for extended periods of time, and extreme weaving across lanes or excessively slow reaction times are detected.
With concerns whether car makers have the right to install technology in cars, Volvo said that it “wants to start a conversation” about the matter.
(Photo source: media.volvocars.com)
