The latest safety feature Volvo has come up with for their “cars of future” has nothing to do with the car itself, but rather you, the driver. The system uses sensors to monitor the driver and determine if he or she is fit for driving, and also make adjustments on their behalf – like altering the position of the seat, or adjusting the headlights for optimum lighting.

Volvo driver sensors are among the latest and most advanced safety features in the auto world, but they are not exactly new. Mercedes has been using them for years for their drowsiness detection system which is said to constantly monitor up to 50 parameters about the driver.

Volvo’s system is unique as it uses an advanced face-recognition system using a sensor on the dashboard to monitor aspects such as the direction in which drivers are looking, how open their eyes are, as well as their head position and angle. Working in tandem with existing systems such as Lane Keeping Aid, Collision warning with full auto brake and Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, this feature can result in the production of an accident-proof car.

Besides the obvious safety advantages, Volvo driver sensors can be of use to make the job of driving easier. They can be used, for example, to adjust both interior and exterior lighting to follow the direction in which the driver is looking, or adjust the seat to the optimum position.