The car seats which detect when drivers are falling asleep

Car seats which detect when drivers are falling asleep at the wheel are being developed by Nottingham Trent University

The dangers of falling asleep while driving may soon become a thing of the past with the development of car seats which can detect when a driver is beginning to nod off.

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University are set to begin how to embed an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor system into the fabric of car seats in an effort to save lives. Driver fatigue is a contributory factor in one in five motorway accidents, according to a study by the Department for Transport.

The sensor system can be used to detect heart signals which indicate a driver is beginning to lose alertness, and trigger a warning to pull over. Should the driver choose to ignore the alerts, active cruise control or lane departure technology could be deployed to gently guide the vehicle. The information could also be sent over a wireless network to a control centre to take further action.

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