DRIVER IMPAIRMENT MONITORING BY PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES

This chapter reviews work carried out on monitoring driver physiology with the aim of assessing the effect of driver impairment on increasing accident risk. Blood alcohol levels and altered EEG activity caused by alcohol or drugs have been related to degree of weaving by a number of authors. EEG activity has also been studied in the case of 'underload' situations of monotonous and prolonged driving. High workload situations have been studied by adding subsidiary tasks such as telephoning and measuring heart rate and rate variability. Changes in driver state are often seen to be followed by changes in easily measured vehicle parameters such as steering wheel movements. The author concludes that driver impairment detection systems could be based on this. For the covering abstract see IRRD 876074.