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 . 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 .
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 .
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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