Arkansas Trucking Association

In-Car Cameras to Combat Drunk and Distracted Driving

Volvo announced it is installing cameras inside its vehicles to monitor driver behavior and intervene if the driver appears to be drunk or distracted.

The cameras will monitor eye movements to gauge distraction. If a driver isn’t watching the road or fails to keep their hands on the steering wheel, they will get a call from a representative from Volvo’s on-call assistance centers to check in. And if a driver doesn’t respond, the car can slow down and stop.

The system will roll-out to all Volvo cars by early 2020 as part of the company’s Vision 2020 goal, in which no one is killed or seriously injured in a Volvo vehicle in 2020.

 “When it comes to safety, our aim is to avoid accidents altogether rather than limit the impact when an accident is imminent and unavoidable,” Henrik Green, senior vice president for research and development at Volvo Car Group, said in a statement. “In this case, cameras will monitor for behavior that may lead to serious injury or death.”

Privacy advocates may be wary of the new camera features, but the company likens this safety technology to seatbelt and the early objection to seatbelt laws.