Volvo's Driver Alert Control Finally Ready for Prime Time

GOTHENBURG, Sweden

When Volvo introduced its intriguing Safety Car Concept, or SCC, in 2001, it showed off a system that used an eye sensor to alert sleepy drivers. But that setup was "unreliable," the company discovered.

"It could not easily detect from an Asian eye to someone who is falling asleep," Dan Johnston, Volvo Cars of North America spokesman, explained to Inside Line. "This new system is behavior based, so it learns from your driving patterns and predicts your correct path. It alerts you before you fall asleep."

The system, dubbed Driver Alert Control, will be an option later this year on the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 — all "new platforms with new electrical architectures," Johnston said. Pricing has not yet been determined. Volvo is describing the technology as a "world first."

Driver Alert Control is said to be intended for situations where "the risk of losing concentration is the greatest and where an accident would have severe consequences." An example is a straightaway on a highway. The system activates at 65 km/h (about 40 mph) and stays active as long as the speed exceeds 60 km/h (37 mph), the automaker said. The system is composed of a camera, a number of sensors and a control unit. The camera is located between the windshield and the rearview mirror. The sensors register the car's movements, and the control unit calculates whether the driver risks losing control of the vehicle.

An audible signal provides a warning. Also, a text message appears in the information display, showing the icon of a coffee cup, signaling that it's time to take a break.