As many as 72,000 fatal accidents, 44,000 injuries and 800 people died due to it in the US in 2013 alone, as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In the UK, more than 25% of severe and fatal accidents are also caused by worn out drivers. It is even estimated that 6,000 serious accidents happen every year due to drowsy driving. Even though many prefer to drink coffee and energy drinks or listen to loud music, all these are just temporary fixes. However, it’s highly probably that napping on the wheel could become a thing of the past, thanks to a futuristic and intuitive wearable called Steer.
Your life saver on the road
Designed by Creative Mode, a Latvian-based company, Steer is an intelligent, life-saving bracelet made to give tired, dozy drivers an Electric Shock whenever they start to nap while on the road. Made with onboard sensors that measure variations in the rate of heart rate and sweat secretion, it uses a gentle vibration and yellow blinking light to warn the driver to pay attention. It has 16 sensors responsible for studying the driver’s heartbeat rate upon which it releases the gentle vibration when the rate drops by 10 beats per minute. When the variations fall further by three minutes, this wearable discharges an electric shock to jolt the wearer. The shock isn’t fatal, but increases hormone and neurotransmitter levels to make a driver alert. According to its founder Vlad Ilyin, Steer is a solution to what almost killed his best friend – drowsy driving. And it being the first of its kind, the amount of backing it is receiving is mind-boggling. As it was launched on a Kickstarter project, its 269 backers have so far raised $36,220, and it is highly likely it will retail at $130.
Will it be the end to accidents caused by drowsy drivers?
With such vibrations and shocks on the driver, Steer is highly vouched to solve what many die out of, albeit silently. It is a wearable device with a hypoallergenic plastic body and an adjustable strap for a comfy fit as it is designed to be worn on the arm, just like a wristwatch. Several reviews, most notably those on Daily Mail, Digital Trends and Wareable seemingly point to one thing – lasting solution. Right now, you can get one from Kickstarter.
