As was evidenced in their recent partnership with POPSUGAR, our favorite automaker is truly dedicated when it comes the safety and well-being of their drivers. It's just one of the reasons we're so proud to work for them here at Kia of Fargo, because safety is something that has always come standard in our new and used car lineup. And now that they're joining forces with a fellow manufacturer to make us that much warier behind the wheel, the pride just continues to grow.
Now, anyone who's ever driven a long distance at night or driven a long distance at all has probably experienced some form of exhaustion or fatigue along the way. Well in an effort to find a way to reduce "highway hypnosis," the engineers at Kia have teamed up with Hyundai and the University of Michigan to find new ways to keep drivers alert.
"Current methods of detecting driver drowsiness are noting changes in head position and eyelid activity, both of which require a longer time to determine potential danger," says Joshua Maxwell, ergonomics engineer at the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center. As for how they intend to notify a driver that they're becoming drowsy behind the wheel, they've started working on a variety of warning systems. "It could be visual, audio or haptic. It might be the coffee cup icon, which is familiar to most people (as a drowsy-driving alert)."1
With over 3,300 vehicular deaths caused by distracted driving in 2011, it goes without saying that this technology can't get here fast enough. Until it does, feel free to visit the experts in our car parts department to learn more about the safety features you can find on our lineup here in Fargo, ND. Just make sure to grab some coffee before you do.
Source: 1http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/highway-hypnosis-becomes-latest-worry-in-distracted-driving-fight.html