Car Tech Spotlight: Timed alert in the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder

Drowsy driving results in more than 100,000 vehicle crashes a year, causing an estimated 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Since the cause is underreported, these figures may even be much higher.

In response. automakers have developed sophisticated technology to help combat drowsiness behind the wheel and the accidents it can cause by alerting drivers when they are becoming fatigued.

Mercedes-Benz's Attention Assist, for example, analyzes dozens of parameters in the first minutes after the engine is started to learn each person's driving style. It then looks for specific steering inputs that suggest driver drowsiness. The system also takes into account crosswinds, road smoothness and how often a driver accesses a vehicle's switches and controls to uncover fatigue, at which point it sounds an alarm and suggests a rest.

Volvo's Driver Alert Control uses a camera to monitor the car's movements relative to road markings to determine "whether the vehicle is being driven in a controlled way." It also uses a graph of five bars similar to those that show cellular-signal strength to indicate the driver's alert status. If driver alertness drops, an alarm sounds and, like, Mercedes-Benz's Attention Assist, a break from driving is suggested via a coffee cup icon in the instrument panel.

I noticed a much simpler (and cheaper) method in a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Edition I recently tested.

The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder has a Timer Alert that allows a driver to set an alarm to sound at intervals from 30 minutes to six hours. The feature is accessed through the instrument panel display via steering wheel switches and can be found in the Alarms menu.

It doesn't work automatically like the systems from Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, and it's much more low-tech. And, of course, the driver has to remember to set it beforehand. But if you're on a long drive and you think that you may get drowsy, it's better than relying on the radio or an open window to keep you alert. Conceivably, the Timer Alert could also be used for other purposes, but since it's not meant to sync with your daily calendar, I figure this is an inexpensive way to stay awake.

Source: MSN