Skip to main content

Driving drowsy test being developed

Researchers in Australia are develop a roadside test that can determine whether drivers are too drowsy to be behind the wheel. The system uses special glasses that track eye movements and measure the length of blinks, which are factors thought to identify whether a person is fatigued. The system is being developed as research suggests up to 20% of Australians have fallen asleep while at the wheel and 33% drive while tired once a month or more. Driving while tired is thought to be as much a risk as being
February 23, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Researchers in Australia are develop a roadside test that can determine whether drivers are too drowsy to be behind the wheel.  The system uses special glasses that track eye movements and measure the length of blinks, which are factors thought to identify whether a person is fatigued. The system is being developed as research suggests up to 20% of Australians have fallen asleep while at the wheel and 33% drive while tired once a month or more.

Driving while tired is thought to be as much a risk as being drunk at the wheel. Fatigue is thought to be a factor in up to 20% of road crashes according to the Danish road safety expert, Jesper Solund. Research suggests that the majority of fatigue related incidents involve either a single car or a head-on crash. Drivers can be at greatest risk from fatigue when driving in the darkness between 3am and 5am, with shift workers being particularly vulnerable.

Related Content

  • Drowsy driving dangers for road users
    November 2, 2018
    Up to 25% of fatal road crashes in the UK are caused by drowsy driving. This is the result of research carried out jointly by the AA Charitable Trust. The research suggests that men and young drivers are most likely to be at risk from drowsy driving. Meanwhile the research shows that 13% of UK drivers admit falling asleep at the wheel. And 37% say they have been so tired they have been scared they would fall asleep when driving. The latest road casualty statistics show drowsy drivers contributed to 53 fat
  • Assessing driver fatigue
    February 27, 2012
    An innovative safety system that could reduce accident levels is being developed in Sweden.
  • UK developing plan to tackle driving under the influence of drugs
    March 22, 2012
    The UK Government is now working on a plan to address the road safety issues caused by driving under the influence of drugs. A panel of experts has been set up to evaluate the levels of various illegal drugs in the bloodstream that would affect driving ability.
  • Australia’s road safety problems are a cause for concern
    January 23, 2019
    The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has highlighted key problems with road safety. According to the ARRB, these issues must be addressed if Australia’s road casualty rate is to be reduced. Road death tolls are being reduced as he latest results show, but more work needs to be done. According to the ARRB, the road death tolls in Victoria dropped 20% for 2018 when compared with the previous year. This is a major improvement, showing the gains made by Victoria’s road agency VicRoads and the state’s Tr