The car that tells you when you need to drink water

Nissan unveils a high-tech sweat detector that warns motorists when they're dehydrated

Nissan has unveiled a high-tech sweat detector which warns motorists when they need to drink water, after studies showed dehydration can be as bad as drink-driving.

Researchers found motorists who consume only a sip of water (25ml) per hour made more than double the number of mistakes on the road than those who were properly hydrated.

The number of errors was equivalent to those displayed by people with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 per cent, the current UK drink-drive limit, according to research by the European Hydration Institute.

Nissan has teamed up with Dutch design brand Droog to integrate a sweat-sensing technology coating called SOAK into its Juke model.

They apply the coating to the steering wheel and front seats, which then changes colour when it is in contact with perspiration.

When dehydrated the SOAK coating turns yellow and when rehydrated it turns blue.

They are also highlighting the dangers of dehydration - with mistakes including late-braking, drifting within a lane and even crossing lane lines.

Approximately two-thirds of drivers are unable to recognise the symptoms of dehydration - tiredness, dizziness, headache, a dry mouth and slower reaction times.

In 2015, a survey of 300 GPs found one in five patients go to the doctor with symptoms – such as tiredness – that can be caused by not drinking enough.

And just four per cent of the doctors said they believed patients were aware of how much water they should be drinking each day.

Dr Harj Chaggar, medical consultant for Nissan Motorsport, said: ' While many athletes are well-versed on keeping hydrated, many people outside the sporting sphere remain unaware of the impact of dehydration on physiological performance.

' Sweat- sensing technology built into a car is an innovative way of highlighting this, aiding prevention by warning the driver directly.'

Nissan added that while the innovation is a working concept, there are currently no plans to introduce it as an option on its model range.

NHS guidelines state that women should drink 1.6 litres of fluid a day - the equivalent to eight glasses - while men should drink two litres, which is ten glasses.

But this includes tea, coffee, milk and fruit juice, although water is by far the best source as it doesn’t contain added caffeine or sugar.

This is mainly to avoid dehydration, which can lead to concentration problems and even heat exhaustion, but there is also evidence that water encourages weight loss and enhances the skin’s complexion.