WASHINGTON — Thousands of people die each year in accidents linked to drowsy driving. Now, researchers are turning the humble seat belt into an alarm clock.
Scientists from a European consortium of companies and government agencies are developing a device they call the HARKEN. It’s a combination seat belt and seat cover made out of a special fabric with knitted-in sensors that can read the driver’s heart and breathing rates.
When those rates drop too much — an indication that the driver is nodding off — the HARKEN triggers a warning alarm.
Here’s the kicker: The system can cancel the car’s movement and provide a clear reading of the driver’s vital signs. It also provides readings without sensors ever touching the driver’s skin.
Work on the HARKEN device has taken place at a biomechanics lab in Spain. On its website, HARKEN developers say they’ve tested the system on a closed track and will test it “in real traffic scenarios.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates as many as 6,000 fatal crashes each year might be caused by drowsy drivers.
Commercial drivers, shift workers, drivers with untreated sleep disorders and those using sedating medications are most likely to drive drowsy, according to the CDC.
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