Subaru drivers' experiences with the DriverFocus driver monitoring system

Driver monitoring systems have the potential to reduce crashes and injuries from driver distraction and drowsiness. This study measured the use and acceptance of Subaru's DriverFocus, a camera-based system that can monitor drivers outside of automation use.

An online survey was conducted in September 2024 among 3,475 United States-based owners of Subaru models equipped with DriverFocus.

Most owners were knowledgeable about DriverFocus and 87% said they drove with it on most or every time they drove the vehicle. Drivers who used the system were more likely to have received at least one distraction alert than to have received a drowsiness alert (97% vs. 37%) in the previous 30 days. Drivers perceived some alerts as false positives, and the perceived false negative rate was low. Most drivers agreed that they would want the system again (70%), and those who drove with it on agreed it made them a safer driver (64%) and helped them avoid distractions (63%). Receiving too many alerts and annoyance were the top reasons cited by the 4% of drivers who turned the system off under their profile settings.

Most Subaru owners of vehicles equipped with DriverFocus appear to see safety benefits from the system. Drivers indicated experience with some false positive alerts, but misconceptions about what behaviors should trigger a distraction alert appears to have distorted this perception. Because drivers who receive many alerts are likely the ones to benefit most from the system, we offer suggestions for improving its acceptability to make it more effective.

Manufacturers using camera-based monitoring during use of partial automation could expand this functionality for use during normal driving. Helping drivers better understand the behaviors that the system is designed to detect may increase acceptance.