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Blue Lights To Reset Internal Clocks
holy_calamity writes "Researchers at RPI are testing the effects of putting blue LEDs inside cars to keep drivers alert. People driving through the night are much more likely to cause accidents because our circadian rhythms just want to sleep — blue light at around 450nm wavelength can fool them into thinking it's morning and keep them awake."
Yes, I know there are times that we've all had to drive with less sleep than we should have... but is this a good answer?
To me it would seem to inspire false confidence on the part of the driver, where they might think that they could stay up and not have to worry about falling asleep driving since they had their blue lights blinking or whatever.
I'm thinking that the real solution is making people in the public more aware of the dangers of driving with too little sleep. Everyone knows they shouldn't drink and drive (yet many still do) but not enough people realize how dangerous driving when tired is.
Most of all, i hope they don't put these in 18-wheelers are another way to squeeze yet more driving time out of the guys.
Tibbon
tibbon.com
Considering that vastly less people are on the road at night, it's disproportionate.
I'm not going to discount the possible correlation between certain wavelengths and sensing it's daylight. But it sounds problematic to me. One blue LED has amazing illumination power, so not only will it likely affect your night vision but it will illuminate all the flaws in your windscreen, as well as enhance the reflection of your self.
Those of us unfortunate enough to buy hardware with blue leds on it can share this fact, it's damned annoying.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
The only problem is that blue light ruins your night vision, which would conceivably cause more accidents.
My car turns on the lights automatically when it turns dark, or when I drive into a tunnel. A few people forget to do this. If for some reason ambient light in the tunnel is sufficient to not trigger those lights, yet still low enough to require them, *I* am responsible for the decrease in safety. That does not invalidate the feature; it's a convenience.
The luxury model of this car (which I don't have) has Lane Departure Warning System. Checks the road markings. If you're crossing lanes on a highway without a turn signal enabled, it vibrates your chair in the appropriate direction. Likewise, if you drift into oncoming traffic, it's still your own fault.
Not everything requires a three-page disclaimer, American.
I feel awake because I get 9 hours sleep every night.
That's the real problem in today's modern world --- people are staying up too late & not getting enough hours sack time. Then the lack of sleep catches up, and they nod off in the office (or worse, their car).
The government is not your daddy. Its purpose is not to raid middle-class neighbors' wallets and give it to you.
I agree. We're not birds, you don't throw a towel over a person's head and they instantly doze off. People fall asleep behind the wheel because it's time for them to sleep.
Try doing that same schedule when you're 35.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
" (but being just about fresh out of school, I realize I probably need to "pay my dues" for a while)." just wanted to quickly chime in here - i'm not sure what your major is (i'm a BSEE) but do NOT continue with that mentality. I'm 3 years out of school and i LOVE my job. absolutely LOVE it. (i'm a software/hardware/embedded systems design engineer at a small firm) here's some knowledge i wish i would have had when i grad'd: 1) Do NOT assume that you can't like your job because you're fresh 2) accept that the first job you get may not be the right one. 3) do NOT be afraid to leave your job if you don't like it. (*but you probably should have something lined up if you do leave...) 4) be confident - the senior engineers and the new engineers at my firm get along GREAT. we understand that newbies know some things that the oldies dont (wireless stuff, dsp, etc) and the oldies know a lot of things we dont (low band RF, power supply design, heavy analog stuff) sorry just wanted to quickly nip that in the bud : )