Ford files patent for distracted driving detection system to help improve driving safety

According to foreign media reports, Ford Motor Company applied for a patent for its distracted driving detection system on September 3, 2020, and published the patent on June 9, 2022.

The number of U.S. traffic fatalities has risen sharply in recent years, surging to the highest level since 2005 in 2021.Meanwhile, the number of teenage auto fatalities in the U.S. is also rising at an alarming rate, and the two trends share some similarities.One of the main reasons is that distracted driving is a major cause of traffic accidents and fatalities today, even as new cars come with more and more active driver assistance features.So Ford's new patent aims to help reverse this worrying trend.

In April, Ford filed a patent for a "wrong-way detection system," which is one of the causes of driver fatalities in the United States.Now, Ford's new patent aims to use driver-monitoring cameras to prevent accidents caused by distracted driving, similar to what Ford's BlueCruise system does, to ensure drivers are always paying attention to the road.However, the system goes one step further and is able to identify when devices such as smartphones are reflecting light onto the driver's face.

Ford Patent Figure 1 (Image source: fordauthority.com)

If the system detects that the driver is driving the vehicle in a distracted state, it can interfere with the driver in a number of ways, such as alerting the driver or even taking over control of the vehicle.Some people may not like this kind of technological intervention, but a recent study shows that most people still prefer improved safety technology to self-driving vehicles, so it is possible that the feature can take over the driving experience without completely taking over. help save lives.