Blood Test to Identify Drowsy Drivers

A blood test that could detect sleep deprivation is likely to be available in two years' time, according to The Guardian. This test can be used in detecting drowsy drivers and may aid in preventing road accidents.

Both drowsiness and the influence of alcohol can be risky while driving as they impair alertness and slow reflexes. While alcohol breath tests are widely used to identify drunken drivers, there is no test to deter sleepy drivers. 

A team of researchers from Monash University in Australia is currently working on a new diagnostic technique that can be performed (through the driver’s blood test) even after an accident to ascertain the cause for the accident and for legal procedures to ensue.

Moreover, this blood test measures the number of hours a person has slept and detects five biomarkers in the blood that can indicate if a person has been awake for 24 hours or more – all with 99% accuracy.