ANALYSIS OF DRIVING BEHAVIOR UNDER A STATE OF REDUCED ALERTNESS

In this research, attention was focused on the irregularities that appear in the driver's operation of a vehicle accompanying a decline in alertness. A practical system that does not impose any burden on the driver has been developed for detecting driving behavior characteristic of a state of reduced alertness. The first part of this paper will explain our attempt to construct an index of alertness as a tool for quantifying levels of alertness in human beings. This index was used in analyzing the driving behavior that occurs when the driver's level of alertness drops. In the latter half, the prominent characteristics of such driving behavior will be discussed with particular emphasis on steering patterns.