Tuesday, August 14, 2007

'no nap'



i don't like to drive at night.but sometimes i find myself in a situation when i decide to do it at night so that i can carry on with my work in the morning.why don't i like driving at night? simple.i feel sleepy in no time.and that is a huge risk when you are in the driver's seat.in the city it is unsafe.on the highway it could be fatal.several years ago when we were returning from kancheepuram to bangalore very late at night,my driver must have stopped the car atleast five to six times to sprinkle cold water on his face.the effect would last for a short while and then he would stop the car again.some simple tricks that we follow to keep awake are keeping the driver engaged in conversation all the while.and ensure that the person who drives has a very light meal.these steps are not fullproof though and the element of risk still remains high.

thanks to vivek bhatia who hails from indore that risk now gets vastly diluted.he is the inventor of 'no nap'.an inexpensive product.it costs rs 90 in india and $90 in the usa.it is a tiny battery operated device weighing only 16gms which fits behind the ear.the battery,dc 3 volts,is made in china and the plastic body is sourced from a small plastics factory in indore.the theory behind this concept is that the person who dozes off slumps forward a few times.that sets off a sharp whistle.the mercury inside the device establishes contact with the battery during every slump.this completes the electric circuit and sets off an alarm.

there are many actual users who vouchsafe for the utility of this intelligent product which is fast gaining popularity in india and abroad.many corporates have bought hundreds of these for their fleet operators.they consider it to be a lifeguard on a long drive.lalu yadav may be arming his engine drivers with no nap soon.railway accidents may still take place though! 'no nap' can be put to use not necessarily in the car or train only.it is not only a road safety device. for students who stay awake burning the midnight oil,'no nap' would be heaven sent.and if you are an aspiring ballroom dancer you will be able to stand and dance straight.

4 comments:

Anush said...

OR one can take the bus.. [:)]

gs said...

'no nap' has many other uses too.if you are travelling in a bus, the travel itself should keep you awake.then you don't need 'no nap'.

Lotus Reads said...

I wish more of our long-distance truck drivers would use "No Nap". We have had so many accidents involving sleepy and overworked truck drivers, the latest one being a driver that crashed into an Indian wedding party that was walking along in a procession (probably a Bharath) in the Sikh community of Abbotsford. Six people died. Apparently the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

gs said...

hello lr
it was shocking to read about a truck driver ramming into a 'barat' and killing 6 people.i think 'no nap' must be made compulsory.