Driver Attention Monitoring
Many accidents result from drowsy or distracted driving. Driver Attention or Drowsiness Monitoring systems aim to detect when the driver isn’t fully alert and warn them. How do they do this? There are a couple approaches:
Steering Pattern Monitoring: Some systems monitor your steering inputs and lane position. If you start weaving within the lane or make erratic steering corrections – patterns indicative of fatigue – the car will issue an alert (often an icon of a coffee cup with a message like “Time for a break?” and a chime). Mercedes’s Attention Assist was a pioneer of this, measuring over 70 parameters in the first minutes of driving to establish a baseline, then looking for signs of drowsiness later (such as steering corrections that are typical of micro-sleep episodes).
Camera-Based Monitoring: Newer systems use an in-car camera facing the driver (usually mounted by the gauge cluster or infotainment) to actually watch your face and eyes. These DSM (Driver State Monitoring) cameras can tell if your eyelids are drooping, if you’re looking away from the road for too long (like down at your phone), or if your head nods. Subaru’s DriverFocus and GM’s Super Cruise camera are examples. If the system detects you’re not looking at the road or appear sleepy, it will alert you – escalating from gentle reminders to louder alarms if needed.
Some advanced systems might even tighten the seat belt or give a short brake jerk to jolt you awake if you fail to respond to initial warnings. The goal is to catch a fatigued driver before a potential accident. For instance, if you’re on a long road trip late at night and start wandering in your lane or your eyes blink longer than normal, the car will urge you to take a rest. Driver attention monitoring is becoming increasingly important as we realize just how many crashes stem from reduced alertness.
This feature also dovetails with semi-autonomous driving modes: cars with lane-centering and adaptive cruise (Level 2 automation) use driver monitoring to ensure you’re still paying attention and ready to take over. If you stop paying attention (say, you fall asleep or leave the steering unattended too long), the car will warn you and eventually might even slow down and stop if you don’t respond – a safety fallback.
As vehicles get smarter, detecting the human driver’s state is key to a safe handoff between automated systems and human control. But even in everyday non-autopilot use, a driver monitoring system can save lives by catching a dozing driver. This is where car tech verges on health tech – sensing the human’s condition, not just the environment. And indeed, some cars also now have cabin cameras for occupant safety (like seeing if a child is left in the car, etc.), but that’s beyond ADAS. For our purposes, know that your car might be keeping an eye on you to ensure you’re okay to drive – an invaluable feature for preventing tragedy from fatigue or distraction.