Ford Has Created a Trucker Hat That Can Stop Drivers Falling Asleep

SafeCap is the first-ever piece of wearable tech designed to help prevent one of the most common causes of automotive-related fatality: sleeping behind the wheel. It was created in partnership with the Sao Paolo office of creative agency, GTB, the global agency that partners with Team Detroit on all things Ford.

The SafeCap, which appears at first glance to be nothing more than a regular baseball cap, is equipped with sensors that interpret drivers’ head movements to identify drivers who are in the process of falling, or have fallen sleep, and alerts them to pull over. The prototype has been refined and reiterated more than 30 times, and Ford's ultimate goal is to build awareness in an effort to make the tech scalable and thus available to drivers around the world within the next 12 months. The program is part of Ford’s celebration of 60 years of truck production in Brazil, symbolising the brand’s spirit of innovation and demonstrating its constant investment in research focused on traffic safety and the thousands of professionals who drive daily.

The cap was first unveiled during FENATRAN 2017, the largest international truck fair in Latin America this October.

“Ford is proud to be the first automaker to create a piece of wearable technology that can be used to prevent auto collisions. The SafeCap is another example of our commitment to utilising technology both in our vehicles and also in broader driving culture to make life easier and safer for our customers,” says Lyle Watters, President of Ford South America.

“In its application of bleeding edge tech to protect drivers, Ford has yet again affirmed its commitment to safety. The SafeCap is a feat of tech, design, and utility and we believe it has great potential to protect drivers and save lives around the world in the very near future,” adds Icaro de Abreu, GTB’s Head of Digital and Innovation.