Most Subaru Owners Embracing Driver Attention Feature

Most owners of Subaru’s with a system designed to keep drivers focused on the road keep the system on, a new study shows.

The findings in a study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows the owners of Subaru models equipped with the company’s DriverFocus system believe it makes them safer drivers.

The feature uses a camera to detect signs of distraction and drowsiness. According to the IIHS study, nearly nine out of 10 drivers queried who have the feature on their vehicles told researchers they use it most or all of the time. A majority also said they would also want the next vehicle they purchase to have it.

DriverFocus, an attention support feature, analyzes steering patterns and lane deviations to determine when a driver’s awareness is slipping. Subaru’s feature uses a driver-facing camera to detect whether the driver’s eyes are open and directed at the road ahead.

Some manufacturers offer simpler, pattern-based systems as standalone features, but camera-based systems are most often employed in conjunction with partial automation. The systems are designed to minimize the risk that drivers will lose focus as they rely on adaptive cruise control and lane-centering features to keep their vehicle traveling down the road, according to IIHS.

The new IIHS study suggests automakers may find it relatively easy to convince drivers of the benefits attention support features. In an online survey of nearly 3,500 owners of Subaru models equipped with DriverFocus, 87% said they keep it turned on most or every time they drive. Among those who drive with it turned on, 64% agreed that it makes them a safer driver and 63% agreed it helps them avoid distractions, the study shows.

However, the small percentage of drivers who turned the system off complained that the alerts were annoying and too frequent, and most drivers reported that they sometimes received false alarms when they weren’t drowsy or distracted.

According to the IIHS, some of the other answers from drivers who reported false alarms suggest they had misconceptions about the behaviors that should trigger a distraction alert. Many reported receiving a false alarm when they were changing lanes, yet most likely, this occurred because they looked sideways or over their shoulder without using the turn

signal as they changed lanes, as the system is designed not to issue an alert when the turn signal is engaged. Others received warnings when they were looking away from the road to use their navigation system or adjust the radio or climate controls, according to the IIHS.