Anti Sleep Pilot

Price: £129.95
Contact: www.antisleeppilot.com

Fatigue monitors claim to stop drivers dozing off at the wheel. So does the aftermarket Anti Sleep Pilot work as well as built-in kits?

We found it easy to install; just stick the magnetic 3M pad to your dash. Put in the battery, and you’re ready to set up, which involves a 23-point questionnaire. This gives a score based on your age, gender and job.

The more points you get, the higher your risk profile. We were a category six, and adjusted the unit’s dial to suit. Thankfully, you only need to do all this once.

We mounted the device on its base, which automatically turned it on, then we set the sliding scale to show how sleepy we felt.

For the first test, we gave honest replies, and the device barely bleeped. It did occasionally test our reactions. You tap the unit when it beeps, and it gauges your response.

But this could be distracting. On a second run, we made out we were more tired. It flashed red, warning us to stop 15 minutes in, then counted down our 10-minute ‘nap time’.

The trouble is, drivers will be put off by the lengthy set-up. The unit is pricey, too, and could do with a text display. And if you’re feeling tired enough to need this, you probably shouldn’t be driving.

Verdict

Rating: ★★
What is it?
A sort-of alarm clock to keep tabs on your fatigue levels.
Problems?
Expensive, could be distracting, time consuming and confusing to set up.
Why buy?
Good idea, clever mount, responsive swipe, could help prevent accidents.