General Motors is rumoured to be the first automaker to implement new eye-tracking safety technology in its vehicles, which is expected to reduce the amount of accidents caused by distracted driving.
The developer is an Australian company called Seeing Machines, which has recently partnered with supplier Takata to commercialize the technology.
What this system specifically does is monitor the driver’s gaze and determine if they are spending too much time looking down or to the side. If the device detects that a driver has had their eyes off the road for too long, an audible alarm will be activated to alert the driver and remind them to pay attention.
While it has not yet been publicly disclosed which automakers are eyeing the technology, GM appears to be the first customer. The automaker has vowed to focus more on safety as a result of its negative press this year due to the ignition switch crisis. Other companies will likely be monitoring the success of the system to determine whether it is an annoyance to drivers or a viable safety device.
Seeing Machines has had similar devices installed in mining equipment and semi-trailer trucks to help alert the operators and their employees of fatigue or distraction.
Distracted driving has been a growing concern as far as automotive safety goes. In Ontario, distracted it is now the leading cause of fatalities in traffic accidents, surpassing impaired driving.
Takata is said to be building enough eye-tracking systems to install in half a million vehicles within the next three to five years.
