Scientists Working on a Test to See If You're Too Sleepy to Drive

There are numerous laws prohibiting drunk driving across the country, for reasons that should be obvious. It’s the same reason why laws have targeted texting while driving and driving while stoned — the laws (and related tests) are about anything that impairs a driver’s ability to focus on the road. But alcohol, cannabis and electronic devices aren’t the only things that can impair reaction times; sleepy driving can have a similar effect.

There’s one big difference between driving drunk and driving on a low amount of sleep, though — there’s an easy way to test for the former and not the latter. But all of that might be about to change; as The Guardian revealed, scientists funded by the Australian Government Office of Road Safety think that they’re relatively close to a blood test that can tell just how well-rested someone is.

The article goes on to cite recent research suggesting that driving on less than five hours’ worth of sleep is comparable to driving while inebriated. This also lines up with steps that the long-haul trucking industry has taken to formalize sleep breaks and worked to reduce sleep-related accidents.

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Police say the vehicle was traveling at 40 mph.

The tests would be designed to be conducted in hospitals after an accident; it sounds like we’re still a few more years away from something that could be conducted during a traffic stop.

Just having the technology doesn’t mean that this will become a fact of life; representatives for the U.K.’s Department for Transportation told The Guardian that “[t]he government is not considering this type of testing” at present. Still, tests or no tests, it’s generally a good rule of thumb to make sure you’re well-rested before you drive — and if you feel sleepy before getting behind the wheel, maybe you should think twice before getting on the road.