Chewing stops that drowsy feeling
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I HAVE ALWAYS thought of gum-chewing as a pure exercise in vacuity. In fact it gives brief relief from drowsiness, as scientific tests on lorry drivers in Japan have shown. Sleepy drivers performed the tests more accurately after chewing gum for only five minutes.
The improvement was, however, only temporary. Chewing is no real substitute for more effective measures to combat drowsiness, such as stopping frequently, getting out of the cab for exercise, eating or having a nap.
Nissan has gone a big step further and a Datsun car under development incorporates a device that measures brainwave patterns and can tell when the driver is becoming less alert. He or she is then warned by a flashing light and a buzzer. If the driver begins to fall asleep a mechanical voice urges: "You are getting drowsy. Please rest."
This system is alleged to have been practised in reverse on production-line workers at Cowley.