Mercedes-Benz plans to make the world's first drowsy-driver detection system standard on next year's new E-class sedan, AutoWeek reports. The system could aid in reducing the 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths that fatigue causes in the U.S. every year.

The report said that Mercedes has been developing the system for more than 10 years and will finally unveil it at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. The system monitors driver behavior and begins sounding warning chimes and flashing a coffee cup idiot light if it detects that the driver may be falling asleep at the wheel.

It turns out the story behind the system is pretty unique. "To identify the point when drivers slip from awareness to weariness, engineers fitted almost 600 drivers with brain-wave-monitoring skullcaps," the report said. "They figured out that there were 70 parameters that would give a better measure of fatigue than proposed camera-based systems. But the key was steering inputs.

"As a result, while other safety innovations such as airbags have meant major engineering changes, the E-class's Attention Assist demanded just one new mechanical part: a more accurate steering sensor. In addition, the system monitors braking, acceleration, the time and road conditions to judge a driver's behavior."