New technology used to measure tiredness in drivers
Police in Austria are using new technology to measure drivers' eye movements in order to identify those who are too tired to be on the road. Examining pupil contractions provides information on brain function. The device is currently in a pilot phase while the Austrian government discusses legislation to make driving while tired illegal. Driving while tired has been compared to driving under the influence of alcohol. Sleeping for four or less hours is believed to have the equivalent effect of 50 microgrammes of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of breath. Accident statistics from a number of countries also indicate that tiredness accounts for between 25 and 40 per cent of all motorway accidents. The EU is also funding research aimed at cutting the number of accidents caused by tiredness at the wheel. A consortium of automobile manufacturers, suppliers and research institutes are working on a demonstration vehicle equipped with a series of sensors capable of recognising a driver's degree of tiredness
Kraje
Austria