A device which monitors the brainwaves of drivers is being developed to help reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents caused by driver fatigue, which is estimated to be a factor in at least 20 per cent of fatal crashes in NSW.

University of Technology Sydney researchers Dr Sara Lal and Professor Ashley Craig are working on a "fatigue countermeasure" to give drivers early warning of reduced alertness and impending drowsiness.

Dr Lal's work has been backed by a $250,000 National Health and Medical Research Council Research Fellowship, the first of its kind to be awarded to a UTS researcher.

"In the next two or three years I'm aiming to have a device for drivers that's ready to use and practical - ­ something that's non-intrusive with a headset that's small and comfortable to wear," Dr Lal said.

"We envisage a warning system that alerts the driver to the early stages of fatigue, with further warnings of mid-range fatigue and a red alert.

"The warnings will have to be given in such a way that the driver will not be startled or distracted, however the system will detect the tell-tale changes in brain wave activity long before the driver actually starts falling asleep."

Dr Lal said the obvious first application would be in the road transport industry, but she hoped that a device of this kind might also be accepted as a necessity in private motor vehicles.

It would also have important applications in public transport, aviation, in the military, or in industries where people operate dangerous heavy machinery, particularly if they are shift workers.

The new study, which builds on her PhD research into fatigue related brain activity, will focus on subjects who suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea, which are common among professional drivers, such as truck drivers.

Subjects are being recruited with the assistance of sleep disorder clinics in Sydney, but the research team has also issued a public call for volunteers.

Data will be collected for 100 professional and 100 non-professional drivers who will be asked to "drive" a simulator over a couple of hours while a range of physiological information is collected. They also will be asked to complete questionnaires to assess psychological factors related to fatigue.

See the full story in UTS News online