Device Will Not 'Zap' You Awake While Driving
Beep Is Supposed To Wake Sleepy Drivers
POSTED: 2:23 p.m. EST February 26, 2002
UPDATED: 2:39 p.m. EST February 26, 2002
CLEVELAND -- Being drowsy while driving is dangerous.
Many people try turning up the radio, rolling down the window or drinking plenty of coffee. But a new device says it can keep drivers awawke.
Trucker Maurice Welch helped Cleveland TV station WEWS check out the Nap Zapper, a device that is placed behind the ear. When the wearer leans forward, it sounds an alarm that's supposed to wake you up.
Nap Zapper claims to be the guardian angel for drivers, but Welch doubted the effectiveness.
He pretended to nod off, but there wasn't a beep. He bobbed his head again and still there was nothing. He found that the only way to get a warning was to bend totally over.
"I mean, you've got to make your head go all the way over," he said. "By the time you do that, you're going to run somebody over. It'll be too late."
Also, if a radio is blasting to keep a driver awake, the beep may not be heard.
Welch suggested drivers take their lead from trucker when tired.
"You might as well pull over and go to sleep," he said.
The Nap Zapper costs about $20.
Previous Story:
- September 26, 2001: Driving While Drowsy: One In Five Have Drifted Off
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