Smart Computing Review, vol. 5, no. 1, February 2015
30
Sm art Com puting Review
Driver Authentication and
Accident Avoidance System
for Vehicles
Dhivya M and Kathiravan S
Dept. of ECE, Kalaignar Karunanidhi Institute of Technology / Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India- 641 402 /
{dhivyamuthu12, kathiravan.sss}@gmail.com
* Corresponding Author: Kathiravan S
Received November 5, 2014; Revised December 30, 2014; Accepted January 20, 2015; Published February
28, 2015
Abstract: Accidents occur mainly due to driver carelessness. An effective prevention mechanism is
to provide awareness and safety mechanism to the driver. Major cause of vehicular accidents is
alcohol consumption. This paper introduces methods such as alcohol detection, a heart rate
monitoring system, and a personal identification system and discusses how they can be
implemented to avoid accidents.
Keywords: Alcohol sensor, Heart rate monitoring system, Person level identification system, GSM.
Introduction
T
he main aims of an accident avoidance system are to avoid a loss of life and provide a safety mechanism for the
driver. Speeding, drunk driving, seat belt adjustments, and low use of helmets all lead to accidents. Every hour, 40
people under the age of 25 die in road accidents. Most city accidents are due to driver carelessness, but outside the city,
accidents mostly occur due to drunken driving. Accidents may also occur due to health conditions, that is, if there is a loss
of pulse, the driver may fall unconscious. Loss of life is mainly due to heart attacks and drunken driving, so this can be
reduced using different techniques. Alcohol detection methods, heart rate monitoring systems, and personal identification
methods are used to minimize the frequency of accidents. For alcohol detection, gas detecting sensors are used. In a heart
rate monitoring system, the pulse is checked by an IR sensor. To identify the driver, a passive infrared sensor is used. It is
also possible for a vehicle to identify the number of people inside of it and automatically disengage the locks in an
emergency so a person’s life can be saved.
This paper is organized as follows: Our alcohol detection method for vehicles can be found in Section II. In Section III,
a heart rate monitoring system for vehicles is described. In Section IV, we give a description of a personal identification
method. In Section V, results from the hardware module and LABVIEW simulation for all methods are obtained. In Section
V, an application to each method is detailed. Finally, in Section VI, our conclusion and future work is explained.
■ ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE SYSTEM
DOI: 10.6029/smartcr.2015.01.004
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In an accident avoidance system, drunk driving prevention, person detection, and heart rate measurement methods are all
used. These preventative methods are mainly used for avoiding accidents. Accidents mainly occur due to the large number
of private vehicles. These vehicles create a serious problem in day-to-day life. If a driver consumes any alcohol or drugs,
they can lose consciousness and create an accident. Accidents can also occur due to health conditions such as chest pain or
high blood pressure. Finally, if a person is inside vehicle without the owner’s knowledge this can also lead to death, if there
is not enough oxygen inside the vehicle. The three methods of drunk driver prevention, person detection, and heart rate
measurement methods are used. These three methods are mainly used to avoid accidents and thus save human life.
ARM Controller LPC 2148
Monitoring Unit
Starter or key
MQ3Alcohol sensor
ARM Controller
PIR sensor
LPC
Ignition
system/DC motor
2148
MQ7 gas sensor
GSM
Window opening system
Limit switch
Heart pulse sensor
Figure 1. Accident avoidance system
The accident avoidance/prevention system shown in Figure 1 uses different sensors like an alcohol sensor, passive
infrared sensor, and an MQ7 gas sensor. These systems implement methods to detect signals, and these signals are
processed by the controller. The ARM controller LPC 2148 is programmed to detect alcohol, human alcohol level, and to
monitor pulse rate. Signals from the sensor are received by the controller, the data is compared and processed for a result.
Drivers are asked to blow air into the alcohol sensor unit to detect the alcohol level present in the driver’s breath. In a
similar manner, a heart rate sensor is used to measure pulse rate. The system is designed to shut down the vehicle when it
detects a high pulse rate in the driver. The MQ7 sensor detects the carbon dioxide level inside the vehicle. When it
surpasses a determined level, the anti-lock system automatically opens the door. The hardware detector module is latched
inside the vehicle and GSM technology is used to transmit signals. The signals are processed in the lab using LABVIEW.
■ ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEM
An alcohol detection system is used to measure the alcohol content present in a body. High alcohol levels lead to a decrease
in breathing, which may make drunk drivers prone to accidents. The amount of alcohol in the blood is called the blood
alcohol level. Alcohol level is measured with a MQ3 gas detecting sensor and the measured data is transmitted to the
controller. The system is designed to shut down the ignition system if the detected value is higher than the threshold value.
Another alcohol testing system is called breath analyzer test, in which drivers are asked to breath into an analyzer kit. If the
detected value is beyond the limit, the ignition shuts down, thus preventing the potential drunk driver from driving.
Figure 2 shows an alcohol detection system used to detect alcohol content. The MQ3 alcohol sensor is used to analyze
breath to determine alcohol consumption. Here the transmitted analog signal is converted into digital, and the digital data is
then transmitted to the ARM circuit, since the controller can only process digital data. The ARM is programmed to measure
Dhivya M et al.:A Driver Authentication and Accident Avoidance System for Vehicle
32
the processed value against predefined threshold values that is divided into: low, medium and high. If the detected value is
higher than the threshold value, a signal is sent to set the alarm inside the vehicle.
MQ3 alcohol sensor
Ignition
Alarm
ARM
system
Controller
LPC 2148
DC
Relay circuit
motor
Figure 2. Alcohol Detection System
If the amount of alcohol consumed is small, the amount can be verified. Generally ARM uses 5V of electricity to
process a detected value that is less than the threshold value, and a signal is sent to the relay switch. The relay circuit
converts 5V into 230V, which makes the switch turn off. When this happens, the DC motor of the vehicle turns on. If the
driver consumes a lot of alcohol, this condition is not satisfied. In this situation, the supplied value is not enough to turn on
the controller and the relay switch. The ignition of the vehicle and DC motor is not activated. An alarm goes off to inform
the authorities. A breath analyzing test is done to measure the level of alcohol consumption and the data is processed in
LABVIEW. In this way, this system checks drivers for alcohol consumption and prevents drunk drivers from committing
crashes or accidents.
■ HEART RATE SENSOR/ DETECTION METHOD
A heart rate sensor consists of a simple device that can receive a signal in the form of a pulse rate and calculate the heart
beat signal in beats per minute. A normal human heartbeat is about 70 beats per minute for adult males and 75 beats for
adult females. Many conditions affect heart rate. A normal heartbeat condition is called bradycardia and an abnormal
heartbeat condition is called tachycardia. Heart rate sensor method is also used to measure the pulse rate. A system is set up
to measure normal and abnormal pulse rates. If the detected pulse level is found to be abnormal, an amplified signal is fed
to the controller. After receiving the signal, the controller checks the strength. An abnormal pulse rate usually means a high
pulse rate. When this is found to be the case, the vehicle slows down and comes to a halt.

If ignition is ON the pulse rate is calculated every 20 seconds. Normal pulse rate is 72 beats per minute. If the
calculated value is higher or lower than this value, the condition is abnormal. In this case, the vehicle automatically
stops and a warning is sent through GSM.

If pulse rate is normal, the driver can drive without any restrictions.

By adopting these avoidance measures, accidents can be reduced, especially when the pulse rate of the driver is
found to be abnormal, this detection method can send this information to a nearby hospital or family and prevent
death.
GSM
Heart/Pulse rate sensor
ARM
Controller
Signal conditioning unit
LPC
Vehicle slowed
2148
Figure 3. Heart rate detection method
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Figure 3 shows a heart rate detection method that is used to measure heart rate. At first, pulse rate is measured by
placing a finger on the IR sensor. It is measured based on blood flow and converted into a value. The value is transmitted to
the controller, which is programmed to detect normal and abnormal pulse rates. If the pulse rate is found to be higher than
the designated threshold value, the vehicle slows down and comes to a halt. If the situation is critical, information is sent to
a designated number through GSM.
■ HUMAN IDENTIFICATION METHOD
This method checks the identity and number of humans inside the vehicle and sends a warning to the driver. The main goal
of the human identification method is to identify the people inside the vehicle. A passive infrared sensor is used to identify
the humans. When the vehicle is not in use, by default the windows of the vehicle close. If any person gets inside the
vehicle without the driver’s knowledge, the person may not have enough air to breathe and the situation can be fatal. To
prevent this, a MQ7 sensor is set up to detect carbon dioxide level. If the level is fatal, a switch will automatically open the
window and send a warning to the driver.
PIR Sensor
ARM
Window
Relay Circuit
Controller
LPC 2148
opening
system
MQ7 Gas Sensor
Figure 4. Human identification method
Figure 4 shows that humans are identified through passive infrared sensor and a MQ7 gas sensor which is composed of
micro ceramic tube and tin Dioxide sensitive layer. The MQ-7 gas sensor consists of two parts: a heating circuit with a time
control function for both high and low voltages, and a signal output circuit. The passive infrared sensor is a pyroelectric
device which is used to detect a person by use of an infrared sensor. A relay switch works based on the input signal. If the
value of the input signal is abnormal, the switch opens. A limit switch is used to indicate if the gate is closed or open. If
there is a person inside the vehicle, the limit switch is used to open the window.
■ RESULTS
A hardware module was designed and simulation was run in LABVIEW to create a driver authentication system and
accident avoidance system. Figure 5 shows a hardware module for driver authentication and three methods for an accident
avoidance system, namely, an alcohol detection system, heart rate monitoring system, and person identification method.
For varying levels of alcohol consumption, different values are arranged to group input values into normal and abnormal
conditions. If the alcohol consumed by the person is above the threshold value, then it is said to be an abnormal condition.
For alcohol detection, if the detected value is above abnormal, then the ignition system is shut down, an alarm is set off
and a warning is sent to the owner of vehicle. For heart rate monitoring, pulse rate is measured. If the pulse rate is higher
than the normal pulse value, an emergency mode kicks in. The ignition shuts down or the running vehicle stops
automatically and a warning is sent to the registered number through GSM. For person identification, a passive infrared
sensor is used to check whether any person is inside the vehicle, and a warning is sent to the owner. In the case of alcohol
detection and heart rate monitoring system, LABVIEW software is used to get the results as a graph.
The results are sent to a mobile phone through GSM technology, as below:
•
•
•
•
•
ALCOHOL DETECTED
H.PULSE NORMAL
H.PULSE ABNORMAL
CO GAS DETECTED (the text says carbon dioxide not carbon monoxide)
CO GAS DETECTED SOME ONE PRESENT IN CAR
34
Dhivya M et al.:A Driver Authentication and Accident Avoidance System for Vehicle
Figure 5. Hardware module for Driver Authentication and Accident Avoidance System in Vehicle.
A power supply unit supplies electricity to the 3-step transformer. Each transformer that produces 0 to12V is assigned
to ARM and GSM. An alcohol sensor contains a separate power supply unit and a buzzer is connected. A relay circuit is
used in DC gear motor and for gas sensors. The Ignition Key is connected to the ARM port 0-17pin. A pulse rate monitor
is connected to the ARM, and each pulse rate is displayed in the LCD. The pulse rate is monitored every 20 seconds. A PIR
passive infrared sensor is used to detect humans. The collected information is sent to the owner through GSM SIM9100A.
The alcohol level is tested by asking the driver to take breath analyzer test. Based on the alcohol consumption level, vehicle
ignition may be shut down and a warning be issued. A separate power supply unit of 5V is set up in an alcohol sensor. In a
heart rate monitoring system, the pulse level is measured by placing the finger on an IR transmitter and receiver. It is a type
of LED. The pulse rate is measured. If the pulse level is normal, ignition remains ON; if it is abnormal, ignition turns OFF
and a warning is issued. The car owner may lock the vehicle if any person gets inside the vehicle without the knowledge of
the car owner. Due to the lockdown and absence of air, the person inside the vehicle may become unconscious. To avoid
this problem, a person identification method is used.
In LABVIEW there are two sections: a block diagram and a front panel. Nearly 14 values are prefixed and conditions
are checked to ascertain true from false. The alcohol waveform and the heart beat waveforms are obtained.
Figure 6. Block Diagram of LABVIEW.
Figure 6 shows the Block Diagram of LABVIEW. This software is interfaced with the hardware module and the output
is obtained. Input for heart rate and alcohol level is in the block diagram panel, and the outputs can be viewed in the front
panel. Different values are used for heartbeat and alcohol detection. For each input, corresponding output waveforms are
obtained. In LABVIEW, Figure 7 represents the front panel. Output waveforms are obtained for heart rate and alcohol
consumption values.
Smart Computing Review, vol. 5, no. 1, February 2015
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Figure 7. Front panel.
Figure 8. Output waveform
A normal condition graph for heart beats and alcohol consumption is obtained. The waveform for heart beat 72 and a
normal alcohol consumption value should be less than 100. If the condition is abnormal, an LED blinks in front panel.
Figure 8 represents the output waveform for both normal and abnormal conditions. The value of the heart rate is 72,
which is normal, but the value for alcohol consumption is 175 in which is abnormal.
■ Application
This method is used in four wheelers like cars, it can also be used in other vehicles like two wheelers. The main goal is to
avoid accidents, and warnings are issued through GSM technology.
■ Co n clu sio n
This research focuses on avoiding by utilizing a heart rate monitoring system, alcohol detection, and a person identification
method. The collected values are fed into LABVIEW to get a graphic result.
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Dhivya M was born in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, in 1991. She received a BE from the Department
of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Anna University Chennai, in 2013. She is
currently pursuing an ME with the department of Applied Electronics, Anna University, Chennai.
Her areas of interest include Digital Electronics, Embedded Systems, and Wireless
Communication.
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Kathiravan S received his BE in Electronics and Communication Engineering and ME in
Communication Systems Engineering from Anna University, Chennai. He also received his PhD
in Information and Communication Engineering from Anna University Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He
has more than 20 publications to his credit in peer-reviewed international journals and
conferences. His research interests are super resolution, image de-noising, image segmentation,
image enhancement, VLSI signal processing, wireless communication, RFID, and low power
VLSI design.