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The tech is currently being tested in Victoria.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Aussie drivers could soon face hefty fines for getting behind the wheel while tired with a new device being tested in Victoria this year that can detect fatigue.<\/p>\n The new device scans a driver\u2019s eyes to determine if they are too tired to be behind the wheel by detecting changes in the pupil.<\/p>\n The development of the new tech comes as the government aims to make fatigued driving a separate offence after it was discovered that over 20 per cent of crashes are caused by tired drivers.<\/p>\n \u201cAround 20 per cent of accidents on our roads have fatigue as a factor,\u201d Road Safety Minister Jaala Pulford said.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople seem to think alcohol and drugs are the only things that may kill them. They don\u2019t think fatigue is so bad.\u201d Inspector Tom Mc Gillian added.<\/p>\n As a part of the device\u2019s testing phase, participants were deprived of sleep for around 32 hours before being asked to drive a dual-controlled vehicle with an instructor present. So far, the results have found that many of these drivers were unsafe to be on the road.<\/p>\n The test is being run by VicRoads along with the Victoria Police, the Transport Accident Commission and Monash University.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope that using these results itself will allow us to actually have a road enforcement tool, very much in the same way that we have a roadside enforcement tool for drugs and alcohol,\u201d Roger Chao from VicRoads said.<\/p>\n Currently, motorists who drive while fatigued can be fined under negligent driving, while heavy vehicle drivers can be fined up to $16,000 for being \u2018fatigue-impaired\u2019.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n