It's not often that a vehicle reminds you when it's time to pull off the highway and grab a cup of coffee, but the Ford Explorer will soon do just that.

Ford is introducing a new safety feature in early 2012 it calls the Driver Alert System, which will notify drivers when it detects signs of drowsiness.

The system uses a small camera mounted behind the rearview mirror that faces forward to scan pavement lines, predicting where the vehicle should be relative to lane markings.

If the system notices driving that's consistent with drowsy driving -- weaving within the lane, for example, or drifting out of the lane and then swerving back -- a chime sounds and a coffee cup light will appear on the instrument panel. That's the driver's warning that it's time to take a break.

If the motorist doesn't respond and the system continues to sense drowsy driving, it lets out another more urgent chime. Once the driver pulls over and turns off the engine, the system resets.

The system works only when the vehicle is moving at 65 km/h or more and only on well-marked roads. A display in the instrument panel lets the driver know when the system is working.

The Driver Alert System is one part of Ford's new Lane Keeping System that the car company plans to introduce through 2012.

Lane keeping systems are not new; similar systems using cameras and sensors were first introduced more than a decade ago by luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Nissan, Toyota and Honda also have lane departure warning systems, but have introduced them mostly in their Japanese and European markets exclusively.

But now, the systems are beginning to be introduced into mainstream North American vehicles, such as Ford's Explorer and GM's line of SUVs.

Ford's new system also includes a Lane Keeping Alert, which uses the windshield-mounted camera to detect if the vehicle is drifting close to lane markings.

If the driver moves outside their lane and hasn't indicated a lane change, the system emits a vibration in the steering wheel to urge the driver to steer back into the lane.

Lane Keeping Alert can also be used with another system called Lane Keeping Aid, which actually provides a gentle tug on the steering wheel to alert the driver of the need to steer back toward the centre of the lane.

Signalling a lane change deactivates the system, and the driver can always override it by counter steering, braking or accelerating quickly.

Drivers who don't like the system will have the option to turn off either the lane warning system or the lane assist system, or both.

GM has also integrated a lane departure warning system into its 2012 GMC Terrain crossover, although it includes only a warning system, not a steering aid. It offers an optional crash avoidance system in its Terrains that's designed to help drivers avoid front-end crashes by warning them with chimes when a collision appears imminent.