Driver monitoring systems are supposed to make roads safer both for you and the people around you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But a lot of drivers are finding them to be more of a nuisance than they\u2019re worth. What do you think about driver monitoring systems?<\/p>\n
In a TikTok with more than 722,000 views, content creator Alex Dodd (@adodd10) vents about a feature in his wife’s new Subaru Outback<\/a>. The car has Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist system, which includes a driver monitoring camera mounted on the dashboard that watches your face and eyes while you drive.<\/p>\n The problem, he says, is that it’s way too sensitive, at least in his perspective.<\/p>\n “If you veer off for two seconds, like if you look away like this, or if you’re looking outside, I got mountains around us, right, I’m looking at the mountains, it’ll flash and beep and say ‘keep eyes on road,'” he says in the video.<\/p>\n Changing music on Spotify for two seconds, same result, he says.<\/p>\n “I get the idea of it, but this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in a car,” Dodd adds.<\/p>\n “Someone please help me turn this thing off.. It’s annoying,\u201d he adds in the caption.<\/p>\n What Is Subaru’s DriverFocus System?<\/p>\n The feature Alex is describing is Subaru’s DriverFocus distraction mitigation system, which works alongside EyeSight on select Outbacks. According to Speedway Subaru<\/a>, the system uses an infrared camera to constantly monitor the position of the driver’s head and eyes.<\/p>\n If it detects signs of fatigue or distraction, like eyes drifting off the road or head nodding, it sends an audio and visual alert. It also uses facial recognition to remember driver preferences like seat position and mirror settings for up to five drivers.<\/p>\n On paper, it sounds useful, but in practice, for some the system\u2019s sensitivity can make it feel less like a safety feature and more like a backseat driver.<\/p>\n A thread on the Subaru Outback Forums<\/a> with over 22,000 views shows owners expressing similar frustrations, with some saying the system fires warnings even when they’re clearly watching the road. Others are just determined to figure out a way to disable it.<\/p>\n \u201cI HATE THIS THING!! Not only does it not \u2018see\u2019 my wife and constantly want to have her reload her profile, it is always alarming and telling us to \u2018Keep eyes on the road.\u2019 You can be facing the road constantly and it will still alarm,\u201d one wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cI have gone through the menu and you can turn off the feature that remembers seat position, but not the driver alertness \u2018eyes on the road\u2019 part. I want to stick an ice pick in the stupid camera! So far all I have found is that if I put a rag over the camera it will \u2018fail\u2019 and shut itself off.\u201d<\/p>\n It’s Not Just Subaru<\/p>\n The frustration Dodd is describing isn’t specific to Subaru \u2014 it’s an industry-wide growing pain. According to a press release<\/a>, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) alerts are the single biggest complaint category among new vehicle owners, accounting for 9% of problems, and that number has grown every year for five years running.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The biggest issue consumers have with advanced driver assistance systems is that the alerts are annoying and bothersome,” said Ashley Edgar, J.D. Power’s senior director of global automotive supplier benchmarking.<\/p>\n \u201cAs more technology is added to vehicles, manufacturers need to ensure that driver assistance systems are integrated in such a way that enhances safety without detracting from the overall driving experience. Additionally, dealer personnel should focus on educating new-vehicle buyers about the purpose of various ADAS technologies to increase comprehension and satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n The technology is only going to become more common. As Motor1<\/a> previously reported, a US law mandates that new cars include impaired driver monitoring systems by 2027\u2014though regulators have acknowledged the technology isn’t fully ready yet.<\/p>\n How Do People Feel About New Tech In Cars?<\/p>\n While some of the new technology in cars is immensely popular, such as backup cameras, certain features are widely despised.<\/p>\n \u201cAuto start\/stop is by far [the] worst feature on cars,\u201d a top comment read.<\/p>\n \u201cOoooo\u2014and lane assist! I\u2019m literally avoiding road hazards and it\u2019s pushing against me! WHAT!?!\u201d a person chimed in.<\/p>\n \u201cMy used 2016 is looking pretty great right about now,\u201d another wrote.<\/p>\n Motor1 reached out to Dodd via TikTok direct message for comment. We’ll be sure to update this if either responds.<\/p>\n Update May 26: Via email, a Subaru spokesperson told\u00a0Motor1\u00a0that “owners and drivers can deactivate the DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System on their vehicles via the head unit.”<\/p>\n They added that the company “continually” listens to feedback from Subaru owners and drivers, but said that drivers overall have a favorable view<\/a> of the system.<\/p>\n