2016 Nissan Maxima Will Introduce Driver Attention Alert System

The 2016 Nissan Maxima will come with a brand new safety feature just in time for “Drowsy Driving Awareness Day” on April 6. Apparently the car manufacturer has integrated a new kind of technology that keeps tabs on how you drive and alerts you if it thinks you’re not paying attention.

This new automotive technology is obviously not going to be popular for routine drunk drivers, those who drive on minimal sleep, or anyone paranoid about having their driving habits recorded. It’s called the Driver Attention Alert, and it will be noticing when you hit the brake, how long you keep your foot off the pedal, and even how long it takes you to make a turn. It will detect behavioral patterns based on when you’re fully aware and attempt to notify you if it thinks you’re nodding off at the wheel.

Not everybody is going to be happy about this new technology introduced with the 2016 Nissan Maxima, of course. If you don’t want your driving habits recorded and think that the NSA will use it against you, you might want to go with something else. If you drive in areas with large curved roads and horrible traffic, this car’s technology might not work for you.

If your driving habits tend to be regularly erratic, your insurance company might even use the data to adjust your premium.

The way it notifies you is that if you start showing signs of drowsiness or inattention, it puts an amber icon of a cup of coffee on the dashboard and gives an audible chime. It helps to combat the fatality rate caused by erratic driving, which is apparently one in five automotive-related deaths.

Don’t depend on the Driver Attention Alert system to keep you safe though, as Nissan reminds you the responsibility of driving the 2016 Nissan Maxima is still your own.

“[It is] only a warning to inform the driver of a potential lack of driver attention or drowsiness. It does not detect and provide an alert in every situation. [It] is the driver’s responsibility to remain alert at all times.”

Until self-driving car technology becomes capable of safe driving in extenuating circumstances, we should never trust technology to keep us safe on the road. The Driver Attention Alert system is only there to remind you of a deviation in your regular driving habits.

The 2016 Nissan Maxima will not take over your driving if you do start falling asleep at the wheel.

[Image via Sites Cars]