CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION
According to Annual Global Road Crash Statistics, every year,
nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes, on an average of 3,287
deaths every day. An additional of 20 to 50 million people are either
injured or disabled. Road accidents is ranked as the 9th leading cause
of death and account for 2.2% of all deaths globally
In the Philippines alone, there are more than a hundred thousand
of road accidents and about 80% of these road accidents are caused by
driver error. Driver error includes many things whether it is distracted
driving, reckless driving or drowsy driving. Driver error is currently the
leading cause of car accidents.
According to a website called Serious Accidents one of the top
20 cause of road accidents is Drowsy Driving. The U. S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts a research on
the behavior of the driver while driving and traffic safety. They say that
drowsy driving is a cause of at least 100,000 road accidents each year.
Public surveys have also shown that drowsy driving is a danger in the
road. In one survey, 55% of the people in the survey said they had
driven while drowsy in the past year.

Driving while the driver is sleepy is a serious danger in the road.

It has been found that sleep deprivation leads to lower alertness and
concentration. It is more difficult to focus and pay attention, so the
drivers are more easily confused. Sleepiness also obstructs the ability
of the driver to perform tasks that require logical reasoning or complex
thought in the road. Sleepiness also impairs their judgment. Making
decisions is more difficult because they cannot assess situations as
well and pick the right behavior.
Of course, drowsy driving can be avoided by having a good night
sleep. Unfortunately some people do not have a choice when they are
driving late or tired due to many reasons like they need to drive late
for work and some people neglect the effects of failing to get enough
sleep. There is a need of solution when drivers are drowsy driving for
the sake of reducing car accidents that occur every day.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Road traffic accidents claim approximately 1.25 million lives of
people every year. Nearly twenty to fifty million more people struggle
non-fatal injuries that in some cases results into their being disability.
Road injuries cause significant economic losses to victims, victims
relatives, and to society as a whole. These losses came from the
treatments cost including incident investigation and rehabilitation as

well as reduced or loss of productivity for those disabled or killed by

the accident and for family relatives who are essential to take time off
school or work to care for the incapacitated.
Car accidents and other vehicular crashes always end up in daily
newscasts. Some of these accidents are slight fender-benders, while
others lead to death of the victim. According to Assistant Secretary
Dante Lantin of the Department of Transportation and Communication
(DOTC), road accidents are currently the fourth leading cause of death
in the Philippines and it might become the main cause of mortality in
2020.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in the
Philippines, road traffic accident is the second major cause of death.
Out of one-hundred thousand people, seven to eight people are killed,
five to six of which are children aged zero to seventeen. At least one
person die each day in the year 2013 in Metro Manila due to road
traffic accidents.
The GMA News TVs edu-tainment show Ang Pinaka listed the
top 10 most common causes of road accidents in the Philippines to
help avoid future road accidents namely driver error, drunk driving, lost
control, inattentively moving backwards, lost brakes, bad turning,
mechanical malfunction. avoided hitting a pedestrian, avoided hitting
another vehicle, and bad overtaking. According to the article from

GMANewsOnline, the most common cause of road accidents is driver

error. The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol recorded around
twelve thousand six hundred twenty road accidents leading to deaths
were caused by driver error or human error. Drivers who are in a rush,
unfocussed, or drowsy are susceptible to road traffic accidents.
Drivers of jeepneys in the Philippines always have a buddy when
they are driving, these buddies help them not to feel drowsy while they
are driving. Unfortunately, private car or truck drivers travels without a
buddy, they compensate this by playing loud music for them not to feel
sleepy for them to have a safe trip but sometimes drivers cannot fight
the influence of drowsiness leading to car accidents.
Binaural beats were discovered in 1839 as a subjective auditory
sensation occurring from two slightly different pure-tone sine waves
with low frequency. It is a type of brain entrainment that produces
cyclic pulses when two resonant oscillating frequencies are fed to both
ears, simultaneously. Among four waves that could be generated by a
binaural beat system, Beta is the most common brain wave pattern:
Beta brainwaves are produced when we are wide awake, alert, and is
involved in mental activity, usually concerning more the rational,
reality-oriented left hemisphere of our brain and to function properly in
our daily lives, beta state is required.

Beta waves are being known as the frequency range of human

brain activity between 12.5 and 35-40Hz, which is the range related to
whether the brain is conscious or awake. These waves are concerned
to the mind being at work or active, and connected to critical thinking
and logical reasoning, as well as being alert and focused. They are also
linked with the flight-or-fight response, which is accountable for what
happens when we are challenged with an apprehensive or threatinduced choice. Exposure to beta waves will have effect on our state of
mind like increase in alertness and concentration and improved logic
reasoning and critical thinking.
This study aims to combine binaural beats system with loud
music in order to increase the alertness and prevent drowsiness of
drivers. The proponents will be designing an anti-sleep device that will
produce beta-based binaural beats incorporated into loud music to
avoid car accidents.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Statistics show numerous vehicular accidents due to drivers
drowsiness and lack of concentration. This study aims to introduce a
remedy for drowsiness and failure of concentration through beta-based
binaural beats synchronized with loud music device.
How effective is this remedy?

The following are problems that the researchers might encounter as

they undergo the study:
1. At what frequency does this remedy become more significant?
2. What is the current state of the brain activity before undergoing the
remedy?
3. What is the increase of the electrical activity of the brain after
undergoing the remedy?
4. At what average time will the increase of the electrical activity of
the

brain be prominent?

5. What is the maximum change in the electrical activity of the brain

after

undergoing the remedy?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
There are different principles, parameters, and theories that are
closely related to the study which served as the foundation of the
researchers in doing the research. These principles and theories are
used by the researchers as supporting factors for the research study.
EEG and Brainwaves
Electroencephalogram (EEG), an equipment that is used to
measure electrical activity in the brain via electrodes placed on the
scalp, was first introduced by a German psychiatrist Hans Berger in

1929. It helps scientists and doctors to detect abnormal brain activity

which may lead to brain injury or disease. Neural oscillations were
recorded using this tool which puzzled scientists of what the variety of
different neural oscillations patterns mean. (A Biophysical theory of
Beta Waves)
The
frequencies

electrical
called

activity

emanating

brainwaves.

from

Brainwaves

the

brain

creates

are

produced

by

synchronised electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating

with each other. The bandwidths describe the functions of each wave
from Delta being slow, loud and functional to Gamma being fast, subtle
and complex. Brainwaves change according to our physical and
emotional action. When brainwaves produces slower frequency, a
person feels dreamy, tired and sleepy while when high frequency are
dominant, a person feels hyper, alert and focused.
There are five types of waves namely Alpha (8-13Hz), Beta (1330Hz), Theta (4-8Hz), Delta (0.5-4Hz) and Gamma (above 30Hz). Alpha
waves may appear as round and sinusoidal and regarded as the most
prominent rhythm in brain activity. It indicates relaxed awareness
without any attention and concentration. Beta waves are the waking
rhythm of the brain associated with active thinking. It is normally found
at frontal and central region. Theta waves are associated with deep
meditation, sleep and unconsciousness. Delta waves are associated
with deep sleep. Gamma waves were reported as a good indicator of

event-related synchronisation of the brain and therefore can be used to

demonstrate the locus for the activity. (Zamzuri Idris et al., 2014)

Figure a: Graph of Brain waves

Biophysical Theory of Beta Waves
The high frequency low amplitude waves are called Beta Waves.
Beta waves are commonly observed when people are awake. It is
associated with logical thinking, conscious thought and concentration.
Having the right amount of Beta helps an individual to be focused and
do task effectively. But having too much beta may lead too
experiencing too much stress and anxiety or may be depression.
As per mental health daily, the summary of Beta waves is as
follows:

Frequency Range: 12-30 Hz

Too much: Adrenaline, Anxiety, high arousal, inability to

relax, stress
Too little: ADHD, daydreaming, depression
Optimal: Conscious focus, problem solving, memory
Increase beta waves: caffeine, energy drinks, various
stiulants

Beta brainwaves are further divided into three:

Low Beta (13-15Hz) focused thinking

Mid Beta (15-22Hz) states of high engagement
High Beta (22-38Hz) highly complex thought, integrating
new experiences, high anxiety and/or excitement

Scientists from Brown University formulated a new theory that

states that Beta waves, arises from the thalamus, the part of the brain
that relays sensory information to the cortex, and in doing so may help
inhibit sensory and motor information processing.
Binaural Beats and Frequency Following Response
In 1839, a German experimenter named H. W. Dove discovered
binaural beats. These are auditory brainstem responses which
originate in the superior olivary nucleus of each hemisphere. Binaural
beats frequencies may change depending on the species cranium. In
human, binaural beats can be detected when carrier waves are below
approximately 1000 Hz (Oster, 1973). When the signals of two
frequencies are presented in each ear, the brain detects the phase
differences between those signals. The brain processes this anomalous

information differently when these phase differences are heard in the

stereo or speaker.
Frequency Following Response was researched and tested by a
Biophysicist Gerald Oster at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. It is
said that when the brain begins to resonate with the binaural beat, or
follow the beat, it is undergoing the effect of frequency following
response.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

 Music from
Loudspeaker
Binaural Beats
synchronized
with loud
music
(Difference
Frequency
ranging from
12 Hz to 30
Hz)

Input

Process
Determining
the difference
of the phases
of signals
Drivers
experiencing
drowsiness
will
experience an
increase of
beta waves

Consistent
beta wave
turns into
concentration
gain

Output

Figure 1. Research Paradigm of Anti-Sleep and Improved

Concentration

through

Beta-Based

Binaural

Beats

Synchronized with Loud Music

The figure above presents the research model of the study in
which the researchers use as a guide for their research study. Input,
Process and Output of the research study are shown in the figure. The
input is a binaural beats synchronized with loud music which will be
heard from a loudspeaker. It will be having a difference frequency
ranging from 12 Hz to 30 Hz, which is the bandwidth of the beta wave.
From this input, determining of the difference of the phases of the
signals takes place. From this, drivers experiencing drowsiness will
experience an increase of beta wave. The output will be a consistent
beta wave turns into concentration gain which will help drowsy drivers
to be focused.
HYPOTHESIS
Beta-Based Binaural Beats Synchronized with Loud Music has
minimal

to

no

effect

in

reducing

drowsiness

and

improving

concentration.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The product of this study will redound to the benefit of society
seeing that one of the main reasons of vehicular accidents is caused by
drowsiness and lack of concentration. The proponents aim to use beta-

based binaural beats synchronized with loud music to gather

information about its role in preventing drowsiness and increased
concentration. The study intends itself to:
Drivers- the findings of the study will help the drivers reduce the risk
of accidents by making them attentive and alert while driving.
Passengers the resulting advantages of having an attentive and
focused driver would make the passengers confident on their safety.
Future researchers this study may be used as a reference
regarding the positive effects of beta-based binaural beats in
counteracting drowsiness and lack of focus of drivers.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The study is focused on the remedy for drowsiness and failure of
concentration through beta-based binaural beats synchronized with
loud music device. However, the remedy is limited to people who are
prone to seizure, and to pregnant and lactating women.
To make the study possible, the researchers have decided to assess
drivers with no mental and hearing issues as part of their experiment.
The drivers were chosen accordingly to the convenience of the
researchers.

The research is only focused on superimposing beta brainwave

frequency of 12-30 Hz which is known to be a mental state of
alertness, attentiveness and concentration, and prevent it from
stooping down to lower brainwave frequencies which were most likely
to be deep relaxation and sleeping state. A 12 minute session is
sufficient to begin.