From the MK7 self study manual........
Task
Between 5% and 25% of all accidents are due to fatigue. Tiredness at the wheel causes more serious accidents
than other causes of accidents.
The Driver Alert System (DAS) is a convenience function which supports the driver by acting as a preventative function for detecting driver fatigue.
Function
The driver's alertness is identified by analysing the way the driver is steering the vehicle. If the system identifies that the driver is about to fall asleep, then an acoustic warning is issued along with a text prompt in the multifunction display of the dash panel insert, telling the driver to take a break.
Along with the way the vehicle is being steered, data about the driving situation (vehicle speed, accelerator pedal use, indicating, time of day, duration of journey, etc.) and the buttons pushed by the driver on the set-up and convenience functions (air conditioning system, telephone use, etc.) are registered and transmitted via the CAN bus to the diagnostic
interface for data bus, where they are analysed. The sensors required for the system are part of the ESC system, with the software integrated in the gateway.
Display
When driver fatigue is detected, a message appears in the dash panel insert for 5 seconds and a “gong” sounds. If
the driver does not take a break within the next 15 minutes, the message and gong are repeated. After this repetition, there is no further message.
