The Doze Alert: no more sleep driving
By Thomas Ricker 
posted November 16th 2005 7:00AM
posted November 16th 2005 7:00AM
Until the dawn of teleportation or an efficient, cost-effective public transportation system free of man-sewage, we're stuck shuffling our flesh stumps around in cars. That's ok 'cept for the overwhelming urge to rest our eyes "just for a sec" only to wake up swaddled in airbag dust, mellon, and ginseng paste inside the corner Bodega. Well no'mo! We bring you the Doze Alert — a battery powered, 2-ounce safety device which slips over the ear waiting to blast you with 86 decibels (someone shouting) as soon as your head dips below a user adjustable threshold. They also offer "Deer Alert" presumably to warn you of offensive Christmas props.
[Via Channel Cincinnati]
I can just imagine the event. You're drinking hot coffee so you won't fall asleep and you've put this thing on just in case you do. Then suddently your coffee spills on your pants, you automatically look down to see why your crotch is burning, this thing starts screaming in your ear and you crash in the confusion.
This product was news in 1989
#1: drinking coffee whilst driving is... wrong.
And with this device you won't be needing coffee anyway.
I don't know... If you close your eyes for just a glitch of a second, it could be fatal too. By the time your head is dipping any direction, your attention is way off the road already. A truck will not have any mercy on the front of your car or you or both.
If you feel to take a nap, turn over, stop the car and take some fresh air or set your mobile to wake you in 20 minutes and take a nap while not on the road at all.
20 Minutes for a nap without danger is less time lost than losing your life and your family losing you is not worth it.
I'm not convinced that this device does what it says. It motivates people to be less alert and stay depending on another 'machine' for life's sake. Not good. Not good at all.
- Unomi -
Uhhh, yeah . . . these have been around for a long time. My dad had one back in the 80's. I'm confused.
#3: you actually took me seriously?
Well, i can imagine some fool steaming merrily along at whatever speed when they doze off and this loud thing suddenly goes off in their ear causing them to crap their pants, jerk upright and pull hard left/right on the wheel and plough into oncoming traffic/waiting pedestrians/crash barriers etc. They need to invent a product that stops dozy imbeciles from taking the wheel in the first place. Oh they did? It's called common sense except unfortunately not everybody's bought into it...
Don't give the UK police excuses to come out with more 'hardhitting' posters regarding public safety (of drivers in sleeping bags in this case lol)...
Funny.. my dad also had one of these things back in the 80's. Didn't every dad get this as a gift one year in lieu of getting a tie?
exactly my dad had one too... I might get him a new one.....
In addition to their use for drivers, these could be sold to writers to prevent navel-gazing.
This was reviewed a couple of years ago by the BBC's Jeremy Clarkson. There was a slight problem: lean over to pick up your drink at a red light, alarm goes off. Tilt your head to look at the radio for a split second, alarm goes off. Not very practical.
Now, the built-in systems being developed by Volvo (of course) and others, which monitor your eyes using digital cameras, that's more of a story. But that's several years down the road.
My grandparents gave me on in '84 after I plowed there car down a highway median on a trip back to Texas. I didn't think it was very funny. =P
Of course, today I wear a Jabra BT 250v - what's the diff?
yea i'm confused too.. pretty soon i expect to see posts on other cool new gadgets like the video cassette recorder, and the 'walk-man'
I cannot understand a bloddy word of this article
Because it's not misspelled?
These are great at training you not to nod your head as you sleep, or sleep through a beeping noise.
The only thing that works is to NOT be sleepy.
I love the posts on how "they need something better" or "just drink coffee".
Sure, a digital camera that watches your eyes are great, and coffee is nice if your not just 30 minutes from going home to bed. This is a great alternative for the time being.
and to those people who say "this has been around since the 80s". Well I haven't seen these standing at the Walmart checkout, the local gas station or on late nite infomercials so it's news to me.