Around Thanksgiving, we warned Sacramento readers about the dangers of drowsy driving; a behavior which seems especially prevalent when people are making late-night or odd-hour car trips around the holidays. When is comes to avoiding car accidents, there is no substitute for a rested and alert driver.

But that hasn't stopped automakers from coming up with new vehicle technology to fight drowsy driving. One of the most recent innovations to be introduced in the United States will be available in 2013 models of the Ford Fusion and Explorer. It is known as "lane-keeping technology."

The system essentially uses a rearview-mirror-mounted camera to detect when the car might be drifting. It does this by orienting itself to the lane markings on the road and then noticing when the car is getting too close to either edge of the lane.

If the car is starting to drift, the system will vibrate the steering wheel to warn the driver. If the drifting doesn't get corrected by the driver, the software is designed to take over the car's power steering and right the vehicle within the lane.

According to an article in the New York Times, industry attitudes toward lane-keeping technology are mixed. Those in the know say that it works very well under ideal conditions, but has difficulty in certain situations, like driving in heavy rainfall or when the sun is rising or setting and therefore at a low angle in the sky.

And while the NHTSA is often in favor of advancing safety technology in vehicles, it has not endorsed this system. The agency's deputy administrator says: "We believe additional evaluation and research about lane-keeping systems is needed before we can decide whether we should recommend it to the public."

Of course, even when the bugs are fully worked out, it will still be up to drivers to use the technology intelligently. Hopefully, as automotive safety technology improves, Americans will not let it become a substitute for responsible driving behaviors.

Source: The New York Times, "Trying to Nudge Drowsy Drivers," Randall Stross, Jan. 21, 2012