Effective Estimation of Driver Drowsiness Based on Eye Status Detection and Analysis

One of the primary causes of traffic accidents is the loss of alertness of the drivers involved. In several cases it has been found to be due to a driver falling asleep on the wheel or becoming too drowsy. Accidents caused due to driver drowsiness are difficult to prevent by traffic laws. Often, the drivers are not mindful of their lowered state of senses and the dangerous repercussions it may have and they continue driving. In some expensive vehicles, high tech cameras have been installed that seek to monitor the alertness levels of the drivers but they are not cost effective and cannot reach out to the masses. In this paper, we have outlined the design of a very simple and economical system which deals with this issue. In this system, the eye status of the driver is monitored, recorded and analyzed. The difference in the blinking pattern of an alert-driver and a drowsy-driver helps us to determine the level of alertness of the driver. If the alertness level falls below a certain threshold, an alarm is raised to warn the driver and a red beacon, attached to the rear of the vehicle, is flashed to warn other drivers. The system has been successfully tested and found to be extremely effective.