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A break for
tired drivers |
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| The Loughborough Sleep Research
Centre is backing a new system that is set to play an important
part in road safety by alerting sleepy drivers |
“Falling asleep is more likely to
aggravate than mitigate the seriousness of an offence, because drivers
do not fall asleep without warning. The proper course of action
for a motorist who feels drowsy is to stop driving and rest. It
should be regarded as an aggravating factor and we recommend should
be sentenced with two to five years imprisonment.”
Professor Martin Wasik, Chairman of the Sentencing
Advisory Panel
Truck drivers are good drivers – they’re professionals,
but when trucks crash, the collision is twice as likely to be fatal
compared to when only a car is involved. The most probable single
cause of a truck crash is its driver falling asleep at the wheel,
which is also the most likely reason for the vehicle being written
off, together with its load. Moreover, there’s a high chance
that all trucks will be involved in at least one sleep-related crash
of some sort during its lifetime. These sad facts are all borne
out of reliable statistics.
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| “Falling asleep at the
wheel is made worse by inadequate sleep, monotonous
roads and driving when our body clock is at its low
ebb” |
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Loughborough Sleep Research Centre is the UK's leading sleep research
centre and has a worldwide reputation. Head of the Centre is Professor
Jim Horne, who with his colleague Dr Louise Reyner, have conducted
over 10 years of extensive research into driver sleepiness. The
centre has built a realistic, interactive and fullyinstrumented
driving simulator that monitors and analyses automatically a variety
of driving behaviours, as well as the physiological (particularly
EEG) status of the driver.
Falling asleep at the wheel is made worse by inadequate sleep, monotonous
roads and driving when our body clock is at its low ebb (Circadian
Rythms) especially at around 2am-6am and mid-afternoon. However,
research shows that drivers are quite aware of sleepiness well before
lane drifting (typifying sleepy driving) or running of the road
occurs.
Moreover, they will do things to keep themselves awake such as winding
down the window or putting on the cold air blower, which, apart
from being useless at overcoming sleepiness, are self-evident to
a driver that he or she is sleepy.
Too many drivers fail to appreciate that fighting sleep like this
makes it likely that they will fall asleep. Listening to the radio
can even distract sleepy drivers from being aware of their sleepiness
and driving impairment. Various devices on the market, claimed to
detect sleepiness, such as head nodding or “droopy eye”
detectors are unreliable as some drivers can fall asleep with their
head up, eyes open and just staring through the windowscreen –
this is not “highway hypnosis”, but simply sleep by
another name.
However, research has shown that for any system to be effective
it must take into consideration certain factors: time of day; quality
of prior sleep, the length and type of driving; and the vehicle
steering movement.
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| “ASTiD is essentially
a passive system that needs no input whilst driving” |
The Advisory System for Tired Drivers (ASTiD) has been developed
using a software algorithm that incorporates sound scientific research
into sleep and sleepiness, and has the backing of the Loughborough
Sleep Research Centre (world renowned for its work into the effects
of driver fatigue) and that’s what makes this system unique
and without parallel.
ASTiD continually assesses various factors known to contribute to,
or be indicative of driver tiredness. The assessment of these factors
is used to produce visual and audible alarms alerting drivers to
the fact they may be getting tired before they themselves are aware
of it.
ASTiD is essentially a passive system which can be fitted to any
saloon car, light or heavy commercial vehicle. It requires only
one driver input at the start of the journey - that being the quality
of prior sleep in the last 24 hours. After that no further input
is required. Should no sleep input be made for whatever reason,
ASTiD will default itself and operate at a ‘below average’ sleep setting.
After a sleep input is made, ASTiD continually assesses the way
the vehicle is being driven, the length and type of driving i.e.
the system determines whether the vehicle is being driven under
monotonous conditions, for example motorway driving, and the changes
in the number of steering movements and/or exaggerated corrections,
which are also indicative of tiredness.
Taking all the factors into consideration, on the main ASTiD unit
the driver will see a bar graph, the more blocks on the bar graph,
the sooner the driver will be given audio and visual alerts.
The driver may also have the optional smaller “traffic light
system” unit with green, amber and red lights that will also
light up to give the driver an indication as to when the system
will advise the driver to take a break.
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| “the system determines
whether the vehicle is being driven under monotonous
conditions” |
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When an alarm condition is reached, an audible tone will be heard
(approx 85db) the main unit backlight will flash as will the traffic
light unit. The system can be wired into a vehicles cruise control
to knock it off when an alarm condition is reached. It can also
be wired into existing incab telemetry if compatible and the audible
alert can be integrated into the radio speaker system. ASTiD is
now advising the driver that they should start to look for a safe
place to pull over, stop and have a 15 minute ‘cat nap’.
Research has shown that a 15 minute nap is required to mentally
recuperate a driver. Any longer and sleep inertia could become just
as dangerous a factor. ASTiD has a “snooze” function
which once set will sound an alarm after 15 minutes to awake the
driver incase they drift into deep sleep. Also, during this time,
ASTiD knows it is stopped and will start to re-calibrate itself
ready for the continued journey.
Currently in Phase 1 trial are TNT, Volkswagen, B&Q, Rugby Cement,
Shell, Allied Bakeries, Rathbones Bakery, Wincanton, Ryder, Nissan,
Van Leer, UPS and Christian Salvesen. All trials are being monitored
in conjunction with Andrew Miller, Head of Research at Thatcham.
We are recruiting for Phase 2 trials to start July/August.
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ASTiD
takes into account:
Time of day – circadian rhythms analysis shows there
are two peaks for driver tiredness, 2am-6am and 2pm-4pm
Quality of prior sleep – lack of prior sleep (in the
last 24hr period) affects driver performance and exacerbates
the time of day effect
The length and type of driving – the system determines
how long the vehicle is being driven and if the vehicle is
being driven under monotonous conditions, for example motorway
driving
Steering movement – the system monitors vehicle movement,
looking for exaggerated corrections indicative of tiredness.
It also monitors the changes in the number of steering movements
during motorway driving as this is also indicative of tiredness.
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