Smart seat belts help drivers not fall asleep

(scienceinfo.net) - Spanish engineers designed safety belts to help regulate the driver's heart rate and signal them to wake up if the driver is in danger because of drowsiness. behind the wheel.

This new device can detect the slowing of the breath and heart rate so that it can generate a warning signal, pulling the driver up, preventing them from causing an accident from falling asleep.

Jose Solaz, of the Spanish Institute of Biology, said: ' Changes in heart rate and breathing rate are important factors for driving fatigue.'

' When tired or sleepy, people have changes in heart rate and breathing. This device can adjust that change and so can alert the driver before symptoms appear ' . Sleepiness reduces reaction time, alertness and concentration.

Most of the accidents related to drowsiness occur on long journeys, belonging to simple, boring roads, such as on highways at 2 am to 6 am or after lunch at 2 pm to 4 pm.

Truck drivers and shift workers are those at high risk of falling asleep after the wheel. About 85% of motorists have accidents due to drowsiness after the steering wheel is male, and more than 1/3 are 30 or younger.

This new system is designed to receive only heart rate and breathing signals, regardless of vehicle movement.

The team, which includes experts from Machester University, has successfully tested the device on the tracks and will soon start testing on street cars in Spain to see the technology. Is this new work good in traffic situations?

Scientists believe that if this safety belt is equipped on all cars, thousands of traffic accidents each year across Europe can be prevented.

The preliminary test gave 'positive and positive results, so this device in the near future could help reduce traffic accidents,' Solaz added.

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University are also designing an electrocardiogram mounting system on car seats. The sensors will trigger a warning to pull the driver up and if the car does not stop in the default time, cruise control will start to control the car gently. The information will be sent over the wireless network to the checkpoint for more specific action.