Approximately 40,000 people are killed each year in the United States in traffic accidents. The number of people that are killed or badly (1)______ in car accidents is so vast that we don’t even bother to (2)______ them in the newspapers anymore. Fully half of these fatalities come from drunk drivers, and many others from (3)______ . A smart car could (4)______ most of these car accidents. It can (5)______ if a driver is drunk via electronic sensors that can pick up alcohol vapor in the air, and (6)______ to start up the engine. The car could also alert the police and provide its precise (7)______ if it is stolen. Smart cars have already been built which can monitor one’s driving and the driving (8)______ nearby. Small (9)______ hidden in the bumpers can scan for nearby cars. Should you make a (10)______ driving mistake (e.g., change lanes when there is a car in your “ (11)______ spot”) the computer would sound an immediate warning. At the MIT Media Lab, a (12)______ is already being built which will determine how sleepy you are as you drive, which is especially important for long-distance (13)____________ . The monotonous, almost hypnotic process of (14)____________ the center divider for long hours is a grossly underestimated, (15)____________ . To eliminate this, (16)____________ hidden in the dashboard can be trained on a driver’s (17)____________ . If the driver’s eyelids close for a certain length of time and his or her driving becomes erratic, a computer in the dashboard could alert the driver.