What does the coffee cup icon on a car mean?

The coffee cup icon is used to warn drivers when they are not alert and need to take a break.

Long working hours, stressful lifestyles, and sleep deprivation are putting the lives of thousands of people in the Asia-Pacific region at risk. Many drivers are completely exhausted but still try to operate their vehicles on the road, leading to alarming consequences.

Research indicates that sleep deprivation among people in Asian countries is among the most severe in the world. In Seoul, the average person sleeps only 6 hours a day. In China, driving while sleep-deprived causes more than 187,000 accidents annually.

29% of drivers in Australia admit to having driven while drowsy at least once a month, and 20% of them have even fallen asleep at the wheel.

The coffee cup icon is used to warn drivers when they are not alert and need to take a break.

Similar to driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while sleep-deprived can impair concentration, reduce vehicle control, and decrease a driver's reaction time.

On national highways and expressways, traffic signs are used to warn of potential hazards. However, cars are also equipped with smart technologies that help drivers stay in their lanes.

Ford's Driver Alert System, equipped with a camera to help identify lanes, warns when the vehicle is likely to drift out of its lane and displays a coffee cup icon to remind the driver to stop and take a break.

Andrej Loewen, Ford's Driver Assistance Systems Development Engineer, said: “There are countless reasons why we might try to drive even when we’re very tired. Everyone wants to get home as soon as possible. But the coffee cup icon can be an effective reminder for drivers that to get home safely, they should pull over to rest or have a cup of coffee if they want.”

This support will help drivers be safer on their journeys.

Ford has offered its Driver Alert system for nearly a decade and continues to research and develop it for even greater perfection. With vehicles equipped with the SYNC 3 connectivity system, simply saying "I need a coffee" will automatically search for the nearest location where you can stop and rest. In Vietnam, this advanced Ford technology is featured on models such as the Ranger, Everest, Focus, and Explorer.

According to VOV