A new type of assistance system, designed by Mercedes-Benz to warn the driver of tiredness and the dreaded phenomenon of nodding off at the wheel is now undergoing a final test phase. The system uses various sensors to analyse driving behaviour and recognises tiredness-related changes in the driver's personal driving style. In this event the driver is prompted to take a break. Once all of the tests have been completed, the system will go into series production at Mercedes-Benz in 2009.
Official statistics cite tiredness as the reason behind around one percent of all serious traffic accidents. However, experts believe that the number of unattri-buted cases of this type of accident is significantly higher, as tiredness is often a factor which is impossible to ascertain or prove when reconstructing the accident. According to the latest European studies, 24 to 33 percent of all fatal traffic accidents involve overtired drivers. This means that tiredness is probably responsible for a higher proportion of serious traffic accidents than alcohol.
In addition to the lack of a good night's sleep, one of the most frequent causes of the dangerous phenomenon of nodding off at the wheel is monotony. Two thirds of accidents caused by tiredness occur in the dark, half where there is little traffic around. Scientists believe that the risk of accident is particularly increased on long-distance journeys under unchanging conditions, as this causes the driver's attention to tail off and the monotony also increases the risk of falling asleep.
Investigations by Mercedes engineers involving over 420 car drivers to date show that many people fail to recognise the signs of tiredness or do not spot them at an early enough stage. Tiredness does not generally make itself felt in sudden bursts – it gradually builds over time. The driver's reactions and perceptual capacity gradually diminish to such an extent that, even in the early phases of tiredness, drivers are often unable to react appropriately.
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