2010 BC Guide in Determining Fitness to Drive

28.5 CompensationIndividuals with sleep disorders are not able to compensate for their impairment.Recently, a number of warning systems for drowsy drivers have been developed. These systemsare designed to detect drowsiness by monitoring the driver’s eye movement, head movement orother physical activity, or by sensing when a vehicle is drifting on the road. When drowsiness issuspected, a warning system alerts the driver. These systems are in various stages ofdevelopment and production.Research on the effectiveness of drowsy driving warning systems is limited. The existingresearch indicates that these technologies show promise as a means to warn drivers of fatigue ordrowsiness. However, it is recognized that alertness is a complex phenomenon, and no singlemeasure alone may be sensitive and reliable enough to quantify driver fatigue. Further researchand development is required before the use of these warning systems can be applied in driverfitness decisions.345