New Distracted Driving Study Measures Distractions While Driving in Novel Way

According to a distracted driving study commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving kills about nine Americans a day.

The engineering company Emotiv and the Royal Automotive Club of Western Australia recently completed an interesting experiment in Australia with what’s known as the Attention Powered Car. This extraordinary vehicle only allows full power and speed when the driver is focusing all of his or her attention on the road. If the driver diverts any attention away from the road, the car slows down considerably.

How Does that System Work?

The researchers started with a Hyundai i40 wagon, which is not currently available in the U.S. They then connected an advanced headset designed to the driver’s head that measures electrical brain activity. The system monitors a driver’s concentration through the frontal lobe.

Extremely Surprising Results

Perhaps most impressive about this new system was its ability to learn and predict. As the test drivers proceeded through the experiment, the scanning system learned their brainwave patterns and pre-emptively slowed the car if the test subject even thought of doing something that would distract him or her.

Real-World Application

Although the system was never intended as a consumer product, it gets science in on the ground floor of preventing distracted driving. Right now, the device is slated to become an instructional tool, and driving instructors will be able to show students when their mind wanders.