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DMS: The Next Seatbelt

How Euro NCAP will make Driver Monitoring
Systems the New Safety Standard
 Contents A New Era of Road Safety
Most people are well aware that car travel comes with a risk. In September 2017, Euro NCAP announced that the upcom-
Each year approximately 1.35 million people are killed in car ing update to their new car assessment protocol would re-
crashes, and even more are seriously injured. The harsh ward points for advanced Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS).

3
reality is that getting into a car is one of the most dangerous Basic DMS systems look at the indirect driving symptoms of
things many of us continue to do on a daily basis. driver distraction and drowsiness, like lane swerving, accel-
A New Era of Road Safety eration, and steering wheel hand sensors. However, with the
emergence of L2 vehicles, with automated lane centering
“Euro NCAP has realized this new and adaptive cruise control, automakers can no longer rely
blind spot and will score vehicles on these secondary signals.

4
with advanced DMS the highest.”
What is Euro NCAP?
Keeping this in mind, it can be hard to understand how
there are car manufacturers who still hesitate to invest in the
technology that could keep their cars out of the worst road
injury statistics. But give it just a couple years, and we will
Euro NCAP has realized this new blind spot and will score
vehicles with advanced DMS the highest. Since then, the
automotive industry has been encouraged to move into a
higher gear when it comes to the implementation of Driver
Monitoring Systems.
But what exactly is Euro NCAP? And how will their next as-

6
The New Assessment Protocol – be looking at a very different situation; the reason for that is sessment protocol affect the construction of practically every
Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme new car model put on our roads? In this e-book, we will
What We Know that tests and rates vehicles based on their safety perfor- answer some of the most common questions surrounding
mance. Euro NCAP and their initiative on Driver Monitoring.

8 The Road to a Five-Star Rating

11 How Technology Leads

The Way to Safer Roads

2 | EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE | 3

What is Euro NCAP?
You might be familiar with the name Euro NCAP, but exactly
what they do and why they are such an influential institution
within the automotive industry might not be quite as well
known.
In a nutshell, the European New Car Assessment Pro-
gramme (Euro NCAP) is one of the world’s most well-estab-
lished safety rating systems for new car models.
Euro NCAP is backed by the European Commission, five
European governments and various motoring and con-
sumer organizations in every EU country. While there are
corresponding organizations in other parts of the world, like
China NCAP, US NCAP and Japan NCAP, Euro NCAP is known
as the most progressive and visionary, often the first to
launch new assessment protocols.
At its core, Euro NCAP is a relatively small team of people
who test and rate vehicles based on their level of safety.
Nevertheless, these assessments tend to have tremendous
impact on the automotive industry.
A high rating from Euro NCAP is a well-established mark of
quality. Millions of people look to Euro NCAP when decid-
ing which car to buy, and naturally favor the models with
the highest safety ratings. This encourages automakers, to
4 | EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE
adapt their new car models to the safety standards set by
Euro NCAP. Because if there’s one thing an automaker wants
to avoid, it’s a reputation for designing and building unsafe
cars.
How does Euro NCAP rate new car
models?
The tests performed by Euro NCAP are based on an assess-
ment protocol that is updated every two years. Once tested,
new car models receive a star rating, with five stars being
the highest rating and one being the lowest.
The assessment protocol consists of four important
categories, which combined decide a vehicle’s overall
safety rating. They are:
• Adult Occupant Protection
• Child Occupant Protection
• Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Protection
• Safety Assist
On the next few pages, we will focus on the fourth category:
Safety Assist. This is the category that evaluates driver assis-
tance and crash avoidance technologies, including technolo-
gies like Driver Monitoring systems.
What is OSM and DMS?
Occupant Status Monitoring (OSM) technologies have been
developed to improve road safety. For many years, Euro
NCAP has rewarded seatbelt reminders, and such systems
remain a central part of OSM. But with newer technologies,
the condition of the driver can be monitored to determine
whether he or she is alert and paying attention to the driver
tasks. These types of technologies are referred to as Driver
Monitoring Systems (DMS).
With eye tracking software and an infared camera, DMS can
detect whether a driver is inattentive or drowsy. The system
can then generate impulses to alert the driver’s attention,
and if this fails, take control, and stop the vehicle. A DMS
with eye tracking also enables the driver to remotely control
some functionality with the gaze and gestures, which can
improve security and comfort for the driver and passengers.
Who decides what the new car
assessment protocol should contain?
In order to keep up with the quickly evolving occupant status
monitoring and driver monitoring technologies, Euro NCAP
formed the OSM (Occupant Status Monitoring) group. The
OSM group consists of different organizations and adminis-
trations that are involved in Euro NCAP.
Two important organizations contributing to the work of the
OSM group is ACEA, the European Automobile Manufac-
turers’ Association, and CLEPA, the European Association of
Automotive Suppliers.
Both ACEA and CLEPA contribute with their expert knowl-
edge on the automotive industry and influence the OSM
group’s decisions. Smart Eye is included in CLEPA both as a
member and as a representative of Scandinavian organiza-
tion FKG, offering the OSM group the perspective of Scandi-
navian automotive suppliers.
“A high rating from Euro NCAP
is a well-established mark of
quality. Millions of people look
to Euro NCAP when deciding
which car to buy.”
In order to stay up to date on relevant developments, the
OSM group also gathers important information from exter-
nal organizations. One of these is the Tier 2 group. Through
the Tier 2 group, Driver Monitoring System software devel-
opers like Smart Eye, Seeing Machines, Affectiva and Cipia
contribute their technical expertise to the OSM group by
providing important behavioral indicators and initial testing
proposals.
Based on both internal discussions and input from external
organizations, the OSM group are developing the tests and
assessment protocol that Euro NCAP will use to rate the
driver monitoring technology in new car models. And this is
the part of the process with which the OSM group is cur-
rently busy at work.
EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE | 5
 The New Assessment Protocol
– What We Know
For any car manufacturer on the European market, this is
the burning question. What will the next update of Euro
NCAP’s assessment protocol require of their car models?
The exact assessment protocol and how car models will be
tested has yet to be confirmed, but the OSM group is work-
ing hard to finalize the performance tests. Originally, testing
according to the new assessment protocol was planned to
begin in 2022, but the update had to be pushed to 2023
due to the 2020 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, the full assessment protocol is expected to be
published by the end of 2021.
So, while we can’t be one hundred percent sure of the de-
tails of the 2023 assessment protocol, we can tell you what
we know so far thanks to our involvement in the Euro NCAP
OSM group.
How will Driver Monitoring Systems
be tested?
Receiving a five-star rating from Euro NCAP will be very diffi-
cult without an active safety system that monitors the state
of the driver – also known as a Driver Monitoring System.
But simply having a Driver Monitoring System might not be
enough to secure a top safety rating from Euro NCAP. The
number of stars awarded depends on the quality of the
system, and its ability to prevent dangerous situations.
The assessment of Driver Monitoring Systems will be based
on three different types of road safety risks: distraction
from forward road, fatigue, and unresponsive driver/
sudden sickness.
6 | EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE
Distraction from forward road refers to any type of situ-
ation that takes the driver’s eyes off the road ahead. This can
include anything from adjusting the infotainment or texting
while driving, to being distracted by a child in the backseat.
No matter the cause of the distraction, if the driver takes
their eyes off the road for too long or keep repeating dis-
tracting behaviors, the Driver Monitoring System needs to
be able to issue an effective warning that brings the driver’s
attention back to the road. Meanwhile, it should cause the
car’s active safety system to intervene.
“The number of stars awarded de-
pends on the quality of the system
and its ability to prevent danger-
ous situations.”
But for a system tested by Euro NCAP, being able to identify
distraction is just a basic requirement. To receive top marks
without falsely annoying the driver, it will need to be able to
differentiate between different types of distractions with a
very high level of accuracy.
Fatigue will be assessed based on the KSS (Karolinska
Sleepiness Scale), which is a well-established evaluation
system for studying sleepiness. In fact, the KSS is the scale
we use at Smart Eye when developing our driver monitoring
systems, which ensures that the estimates made by our soft-
ware correspond with how Euro NCAP measures sleepiness.
Sudden sickness, or unresponsive driver, is defined as any
situation in which the driver loses control of the vehicle due
to a sudden health condition, like a heart attack or a sei-
zure. A situation like this would require more drastic safety
measures compared to other types of impairment states.
First, the system might try to warn the driver, while activat-
ing automatic lane keeping to keep the car from drifting. If
the driver remains unresponsive, the car would activate its
emergency blinkers and come to a gradual stop.
EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE | 7

The Road to a Five-Star Rating
The interior of a car is an incredibly demanding environment
for a Driver Monitoring System. The system needs to be
able to perform under a wide range of conditions, including
vibration, heat, cold, extreme lighting conditions, as well as
occupants who wear sunglasses, hats or face masks. At the
same time, a Driver Monitoring System relies on some very
complex technology that takes years to develop and refine.
As a result, few manufacturers in the world are truly capable
of delivering Driver Monitoring System software that lives up
to the high standards of the global automotive industry.
This is why Euro NCAP needs to thoroughly test and evalu-
ate different Driver Monitoring Systems, basing their rating
on their performance and complexity. Deciding exactly how
to assess different types of technologies and features is a
very important part of the OSM group’s job, and the work is
far from finished. But at this point, these are a few examples
of features we know will make a difference for the rating
of a Driver Monitoring System and, in extension, an entire
car model: behavioral detection, the camera, occlusion and
warnging and intervention effectiveness.
8 | EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE
“Few manufacturers in the
world are truly capable of
delivering Driver Monitoring
System software that lives up
to the high standards of the
global automotive industry.”
Warning and intervention effectiveness
What’s the point of a Driver Monitoring System if it
lacks the ability to actually change the behavior of the
driver and prevent an accident? This is why warning
and intervention effectiveness is so important. The
best systems are able to determine which type of
warning or intervention is the most helpful based on
the behavior of the driver, and effectively activate it.
Occlusion
When assessing a Driver Monitoring System, Euro
NCAP will also need to test how well it handles oc-
clusion. In perfect conditions, the driver’s face is fully
visible and evenly lit. But for use in real-life condi-
tions, a driver monitoring system needs to be able to
recognize drivers who wear sunglasses, hats and face
masks, and deliver reliable results in less-than-ideal
lighting. It also needs to be able to notify the driver if
an object blocks the view of the camera – like a cell-
phone being held up in front of the driver’s face.
The camera
The camera is an essential feature of a highly rated
Driver Monitoring System. Compared to other meth-
ods for detecting distraction or drowsiness, a camera
is far superior in terms of quickly determining the
state of the driver. And should worst come to worst,
every second is valuable.
Combined with eye tracking software, a camera-based
system can keep up with the inner workings of the
driver’s mind better than any other type of system –
offering far more exact results than, for example, a
system that only uses lane swerving, acceleration, or
steering wheel hand sensors. The problem with these
types of technologies is that they are only able to
identify drowsiness and distraction once the driver is
departing from their lane or falling asleep – at which
point it might already be too late.
Camera-based systems with eye tracking technology,
on the other hand, can prevent potential impairment
by detecting distraction or drowsiness before the
driving performance is affected. Euro NCAP refers to
camera-based systems as direct driver monitoring,
which will be necessary for a car model to receive a
five-star rating in the future.
Behavioral detection
A Driver Monitoring System might be able to detect
when a driver is distracted, but can it determine what
is causing the distraction? In the 2023 update of Euro
NCAP’s assessment protocol, the extent of a Driver
Monitoring System’s behavioral detection can make
the difference between two scores.
Identifying the source of the distraction is important
for determining what safety measures should be acti-
vated by the system.
The more advanced systems can, for example, use
object detection to identify a phone in the driver’s
hand, follow their gaze up and down the display and
conclude that the driver is distracted by their phone.
In this situation, a useful response might be for the
system to issue a warning – bringing the driver’s at-
tention back to the road.
EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE | 9
 Is Smart Eye’s Driver Monitoring
Solution Euro NCAP-ready?
As a member of both CLEPA and the Tier 2 group, Smart Eye
is helping Euro NCAP formulate the tests and assessment
protocol which will be used to rate Driver Monitoring Sys-
tems by 2023. And with our 20+ years of experience devel-
oping Driver Monitoring System software for the automotive
How Technology Leads
The Way to Safer Roads
industry, we know what separates a mediocre system from a
really good system.

That is why we feel confident that our Driver Monitoring

solution is fully prepared to be tested by Euro NCAP – and
receive a top rating. Our AI-powered driver monitoring tech-
nology includes the most advanced eye tracking available
and delivers accurate, reliable results independent of illumi-
nation or face conclusion.
At Smart Eye, we have always been guided by our ambition
to improve road safety and save lives through technolo-
gy. The inclusion of Driver Monitoring technology in Euro
NCAP’s next assessment protocol is an initiative that has the
potential to save thousands of lives every year. And if you ask
us, the sooner Driver Monitoring Systems become a natural
part of every new European vehicle, the better.
Beyond DMS:
What’s Next for Euro NCAP?
Distraction and drowsiness are among the greatest road
safety risks, responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths
every year. This has been well-known for years, but it’s only
recently that authorities and road safety organizations have
really started to lift the importance of Driver Monitoring
Systems for preventing traffic accidents. And out of these
organizations, Euro NCAP is one of the most influential.
Considering the impact Euro NCAP has on the European car
market, the inclusion of Driver Monitoring in their assess-
ment protocol is bound to make a real difference for the use
of driver monitoring on European roads. By 2023, in just two
short years, Driver Monitoring will practically be a require-
ment for any new car model launched on the European
market.

By including Driver Monitoring in the next assessment pro-

tocol, Euro NCAP acknowledges the importance of analyz-
ing not just the state of the car, but the people within it. By
turning cameras and sensors inwards, to the entire cabin,
the safety and comfort of all road users can be improved.
These emerging technologies are called Interior Sensing
and will likely be recognized by Euro NCAP in future itera-
tions of the protocol. For example, from 2022, Euro NCAP
will be rewarding points for Child Presence Detection, which
can detect a child alone in a car and alert the owner or
emergency services to avoid heatstroke fatalities. The same
technology can be used for Pet Detection, to avoid heat-
stroke fatalities in pets left behind in vehicles.
Smart Eye has been delivering AI-based Driver Monitor-
ing software to the automotive industry for two decades.
Through the recent acquisition of Emotion AI pioneer
Affectiva, Smart Eye will further expand our DMS to deliver
advanced Interior Sensing technology. Apart from enabling
Child Presence Detection and Pet Detection, this new gen-
eration of Interior Sensing technology will address future
safety requirements, like Passenger Position or Seatbelt
Detection.
“By turning cameras and sensors
inwards, to the entire cabin, the
safety and comfort of all road
users can be improved.”
We sometimes compare the view on driver monitoring
systems to how the seatbelt was viewed 50 years ago.
When the seatbelt was launched, some people reacted with
skepticism. It was seen as an inconvenience and an unnec-
essary cost. Now, no car manufacturer would think to launch
a car model without seatbelts. Not only because it’s a legal
requirement, but because very few people would feel safe
driving without one.
We believe Driver Monitoring Systems will follow the same
pattern. Give it a few years, and the risk of a driver falling
asleep behind the wheel will seem like a thing of the past.
And even short term, any money car manufacturers invest
into driver monitoring systems will be earned back in terms
of a higher safety rating from Euro NCAP and, most impor-
tantly, less injuries and deaths in their cars.

10 | EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE

EURO NCAP E-BOOK - SMART EYE | 11
 Smart Eye offers road-ready Driver Monitoring Systems and
next-level Interior Sensing solutions built on two decades of auto-
motive experience. Our technology is embedded in next-generation
vehicles as OEM or Tier 1 solutions, and we currently have 89 design
wins from 13 of the world’s leading manufacturers. We also provide
complete hardware and software solutions for fleet and aftermar-
ket, powering vehicles on the road today.

As the preferred partner to the automotive industry, we are leading

the way towards safer, more sustainable transportation and mobili-
ty experiences enhancing wellness, comfort and entertainment.

Smart Eye is the global leader in Human Insight AI, technology that
understands, predicts and enhances human behavior in complex
environments. Bridging the gap between humans and machines for a
safe and sustainable future. Smart Eye was founded in 1999, is pub-
licly traded and headquartered in Sweden with offices in the US, UK,
Germany, Egypt, Japan and China.

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