Tired driving is not a good idea. The concentration decreases and in the worst case it comes to an accident. To draw attention to the dangers of fatigue, Ford uses a pajamas. But he is not meant for bed.
Over-tired drivers endanger themselves and others. The German Traffic Safety Council (DVR) assumes annual 2.000 traffic accidents involving personal injury resulting from over-fatigue. The number of unreported traffic accidents is likely to be higher. According to estimates by the European Commission, the factor fatigue is up to 20 percent of traffic accidents involved.
Although modern assistance systems recognize signs of fatigue in the vehicle and warn the driver, they are still not widespread. Especially young people are often traveling in vehicles without such electronic helpers and also underestimate their sleep needs. To make novice drivers aware of the dangers of lack of sleep behind the wheel, Ford has therefore developed a special "pajamas".
Special goggles come with the suit. In conjunction with a smartphone app, it can be set in such a way that the driver cannot see anything for up to ten seconds. Even a driver who closes his eyes for just three seconds at 100 km/h covers a distance of over 80 meters. In addition, the suit, with heavy cuffs on the arms and legs and a heavy cap for the head, conveys typical impairments caused by lack of sleep.
Interested teens, ages 17 to 24, can try the special pajamas during a free driver safety training course as part of the "Think Right for Your Future" initiative. Further information and dates for driving safety training are available at www.vorfahrt-fuer-deine-zukunft.de.