BRITS have realised exactly what a tiny coffee cup icon means if it ever pops up on your dashboard and it could save your life.
Drivers should stop driving almost immediately if they ever see the incredibly important bonus feature appear during a long drive.
Brits are discovering a life-saving bonus feature that pops up on your dashboard
Mercedes-Benz USAAttention Assist is the clever technology that uses a coffee cup to tell drivers to stop[/caption]
The feature is new to Mercedes-Benz motors and is thought to be the very first technology of its kind in the car industry.
Called Attention Assist, the super clever technology uses a specially designed algorithm that is based on your driving patterns and techniques.
This is paired with specialised sensor that detect driver fatigue and sends you a warning in your car if they sense an issue.
Thorough research by Mercedes engineers found that sleepy drivers often make small steering errors when on the roads and they can even change their steering behaviour slightly.
Attention Assist has been designed to help prevent accidents caused by tired drivers in a very clever way.
Many other car companies such as Volvo and Nissan have their own technology commonly known as drowsiness detection.
Volvo uses a clever system that scans the drivers eyes and head movements to determine their condition where as other systems vibrate the steering wheel to alert the sleepy driver.
It is so important to be alert in the car as if not you could be slapped with an unlimited fine if you get behind the wheel while tired.
UK law dictates that if you cause an accident you can be charged with dangerous driving and face an unlimited fine, a driving ban, and up to 14 years in prison.
And you aren’t just putting your own health at risk but also other drivers and pedestrians around you.
HOW DOES ATTENTION ASSIST WORK?
During the first few minutes of your journey the superb system analyses your driving habits using over 70 different types of categories.
The sensors even have the ability to record your steering movements and steering speed to create a portfolio of your driving technique.
During the rest of your journey the sensors continue to track your driving and make notes based on any changes to provide feedback.
If at any point during your trip the car sensors notice a change in your driving it will closely monitor it and compare your current driving to your original results.
If after analysing the responses and finding issues the system will announce in the car that it is “time for a break”.
At the same time a coffee cup icon will pop up on your dashboard to tell you to take a rest and refuel your body if you need to.
In some models you can even get your dashboard to show your detected attention level.
This feature will give you a “health bar” that drops as your fatigue levels are seen to increase.
You can also set up most Mercedes models to show you how long you’ve been driving for and even get directions to the nearest rest spot so you can take some time to yourself.
DANGERS OF DRIVING WHEN TIRED
A new study found those who have less than five hours of sleep a night are just as likely to have a vehicle crash as those over the legal limit for alcohol.
It also doubles the risk of a crash.
Dr Akshay Dwarakanath, of St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, said: “Up to one fifth of collisions on the road may be caused by fatigue or sleepiness.
Tiredness contributes to about four per cent of fatal road crashes and two per cent of all collisions in Britain, according to road safety charity Brake.
However, it is likely that the true figures are far higher because fatigue is hard to spot and, unlike alcohol and drugs, police can’t test for tiredness.
What to do if you’re tired at the wheel?
VANARAMA has shared their top tips for motorists to wake up to the dangers of drowsy driving.
TIME
Drivers are 20 times more likely to fall asleep at the wheel at 6am than at 10pm so try to time your drives if you can.
Most people’s body clocks have a natural dip, which causes drowsiness and reduced concentration, in the early morning (2am-6am) and early afternoon (2pm-4pm).
If possible, try to avoid driving during these hours.
HEAT
Get cold air circulating around your car. If your vehicle is stuffy or overly warm, this will make you feel sleepy whilst driving.
Open your windows or turn your air-con on full blast to wake you up – aim for the air vents away from your eyes to avoid drying them out.
SOUND
Play some music or talk during your drives as this will keep your body active.
Try picking songs that you know the words to so that you can sing along and stimulate your brain or play a game so you stay alert.
Alternatively, Vanarama recommends listening to punk or indie music, as in their previous study, they were the two genres that increase motorists’ heartbeats the most when driving – keeping them alert.
FOOD
Try to avoid heavy carbs and sugary snacks before driving.
Whilst you may be tempted to eat crisps and chocolate as an afternoon pick-me-up, they could be doing you more harm than good.
Once the sugar wears off, your drowsiness can increase – making you sleepier and more prone to an accident on your drive home.
Research also shows that chewing gum helps alleviate tiredness due to it stopping you from yawning.
EXERCISE
Exercise before you drive as working out increases the blood flow to your brain, which helps lower your level of stress hormones.
So, cramming in a 20-minute workout on a morning before you drive to work will not only improve your fitness levels, but will help you feel more alert when driving.
JUST STOP
One of the best ways to avoid being tired at the wheel is to simply stop when you feel fatigued.
Try to pull over safely and have a nap, stretch or walk just to give your body and mind a break from driving.