Mercedes-Benz has already developed a system to help folks that have trouble braking, and it now looks like it’s doing the same for those that have a tendency to fall asleep at the wheel. That will apparently come in the form of the automaker’s “Attention Assist” system, which is apparently in the final stages of development and expected to go into production in 2009, according to Gizmag. Among other things, the system can record the angle of the steering wheel, as well as speed, acceleration, and the use of indicators and pedals, not to mention external factors like a side wind or an uneven road surface. If it detects suspicious behavior, it sets off a warning light and some presumably hard to ignore sounds to tell the driver to pull over. As Gizmag points out, however, this is far from the first system that tries to keep drowsy drivers alert, although it does seem to be a good deal more advanced than a few of the solutions we’ve seen.

[Via Straightline]