The same technology can also be used to measure tiredness and fatigue, by measuring the percentage of your eyelid closure, and then warning you to take a break before you fall asleep at the wheel.

This work, developed by EPFL’s Signal Processing 5 Laboratory (LTS5) in association with PSA Peugeot Citroen, uses an infrared camera placed behind the car’s steering wheel to track the seven universal hard-coded emotions that your face can show. Fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, surprise, and suspicion are so intrinsic to human nature that they have very specific muscle movements — movements that can be fairly easily picked up with an infrared camera and some computer vision software. As you can see in the video below, the software tracks your eyes, mouth, and nose, and from their movements it can work out what emotion you’re currently experiencing.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, based in the United States have opened up a new opportunity for young Americas aged 13-18 to apply for the National Teen Influencers Group to work closely with their organization. Teens will serve as ambassadors for MADD and gain valuable experience in promoting road safety and campaigning empowering teens not to drink and drive before 21 in the country.

Founded in the United States of America by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every 8.6 minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP

Do you know a teen who is wants to take a stand against underage drinking? MADD is searching  for outstanding teens to lead teens across the nation to take a stand against underage drinking as a part of the 2014-2015 MADD Power of You(th)® National Teen Influencer Group.

Make a difference in your community, and nationwide. Ten teens will be selected to work closely with MADD National staff to shape and create initiatives to empower teens to not drink before 21 or ride in a car with someone who has been drinking.  Teens will also serve as youth ambassadors for MADD within your state and community, which may include speaking with media about MADD’s mission. 

Develop new skills. As a teen influencer, teens will build a network of like-minded peers from across the country and experience leadership skills, media training, effective underage drinking prevention initiatives, and new friendships. 

Help save lives. This position requires time, thought and creativity.  We will meet monthly and ask you to share your ideas, thoughts and passion with the Group. The biggest reward is the opportunity to positively influence teens across the nation and help save lives!

MADD is looking  for outstanding teens to lead teens across the nation to take a stand against underage drinking as a part of the 2014-2015 Power of You(th)® National Teen Influencer Group, nationally sponsored by State Farm®. This position requires time, thought and creativity. The biggest reward, however, is the opportunity to positively influence teens across the nation and help save lives!

To be eligible to participate you must:

• Be 13-18 years old.
• Be enrolled as a full time student in an accredited high school, private school or home school program during the 2014-2015 school year.
• Be a citizen or legal resident of the United States.
• Commit to participate for one year in monthly meetings. Most will be via phone, but there may be the opportunity for at least one face-to-face meeting (travel scholarships provided).
• Have an email address that you can access and utilize on a regular basis.
• Be a role model and a positive influence on teens.
• Serve when needed as a teen media representative for MADD.
• Commit to be drug and alcohol free. Learn more about becoming a MADD National Teen Influencer.

MADD are accepting applications online now, through May 21st for the 2014-2015 National Teen Influencer Group. Help us spread the word to teens that are involved in significant underage drinking prevention work in your community.

These are the results of an AA-Populus poll of 17,629 drivers. A previous AA-Populus poll showed 85 per cent of drivers think motorcyclists are sometimes hard to see and more than half (57%) are often ‘surprised when a motorcycle appears from nowhere’.

As a result of these findings the AA and the AA Charitable Trust have got together, with support from British Cycling and The Motorcycle Industry Association, to launch a national ‘Think Bikes!’ awareness campaign

The legal drinking age in the United States saves hundreds of lives every year, according to research published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. It notes that attitudes towards alcohol and driving has changed significantly over the past 20 years although there is a lot more to do.

Along with increased safety on the road, the legal drinking age has health benefits as well. Research reveals that consumption of alcohol during adolescence can interfere with brain development, Serafini said. The human brain develops during the early 20s, and drinking alcohol during that development can cause short-or long-term damage to brain growth, according to the MADD website.

While the legal drinking age has health and safety benefits, there are some drawback to having a higher legal drinking age in the U.S. than in other countries.  

“Because the drinking age is 21, some people vilify alcohol altogether, growing up learning that alcohol is intrinsically bad and cannot be good for people,” said senior Joey Castrodale. “On the other end of the spectrum, people under the age who like to rebel against society drink uncontrollably just to break the rules, which is also damaging to themselves and society as a whole.” Despite the drawbacks, Castrodale said he would not change the legal drinking age.

“I believe the drinking age is fine where it is,” Castrodale said. “Because of the precedence that has already been set, I do not believe changing it either way will be good for America. We are too far in to make any change without serious ramifications. If we could go back and re-found the country and never enstate the drinking age, I would say to not have one, but now we’re this far in, so it would lead to chaos were it to change.” 

Q: How does alcohol affect driving?

A: Even a small quantity of alcohol can have the following effects:

• Poor coordination: trouble doing more than one thing at a time, difficulty steering the car.
• Longer reaction time: reacting more slowly when something unexpected happens (a car approaching you from the side, people crossing the street).
• Poor judgment: trouble judging your and other people’s behaviour (including speed, distances, movement) and estimating risks.
• Reduction in concentration, memory, vision and hearing:
  focusing only on the road ahead, losing track of what is taking place in your peripheral vision area, missing out on things you see and hear.
• False sense of confidence and overestimation of abilities: feeling more confident and taking risks that you would not usually take.