-  Photo via U.S. Air Force illustration/Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter.

Photo via U.S. Air Force illustration/Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter. 

Fatigue behind the wheel can be deadly, and in response manufacturers are launching more and more wearable technologies to alert drowsy drivers, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

According to the report, Biometric sensors are getting lighter, more affordable and more accurate, and new software systems can connect driver and vehicle data. There is a plethora of new wearable technology monitors that come in the form of caps, vests, wristbands and glasses.

The sensor technology works by detecting signs that a motorist is nodding off, such as head bobs and jerky movements. Other devices are capable of much more sophisticated monitoring.

For example, SmartCap Technologies makes a headband that detects electronic brain waves and translates them to a measure of alertness or fatigue, reports the Star Tribune. It notifies the drivers if they fall into the drowsy range.

Maven Machines produces a headset that detects if a driver is looking forward through the windshield, up, down or sideways, and measures mirror checks, which can decrease in frequency if a driver is getting tired.

Glasses made by Optalert measure the driver's eye blinking with an LED light monitor. Eyelids that stay down too long might indicate a drowsy driver, notes the report.

Approximately 100,000 crashes a year are linked to drowsy driving, according to the National Safety Council. In 2015 alone, an estimated 5,000 people died in collisions involving drowsy driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

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