- Nearly 9 in 10 Subaru drivers with DriverFocus say they use it most or all of the time.
A majority believe the system makes them safer and want it in their next vehicle.
Researchers say attention-monitoring technology could help prevent thousands of distraction-related crashes.
Most Subaru owners with the company’s DriverFocus system leave it switched on and say it improves their driving safety, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
DriverFocus uses a driver-facing camera to monitor signs of distraction and drowsiness. In a survey of nearly 3,500 Subaru owners, 87% said they keep the system turned on most or all of the time. About 70% said they want the feature again in their next car, while 64% agreed it makes them a safer driver.
“Such a high level of acceptance for a system designed to keep drivers’ attention on the road is a bit surprising and very encouraging,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
Distraction and drowsiness remain deadly
Attention-support systems like DriverFocus are intended to combat risks that contribute to thousands of crashes each year. Distraction and drowsiness were factors in nearly 4,000 U.S. road fatalities in 2023, though researchers believe the true toll is higher.
Unlike some monitoring features tied to partially automated systems, Subaru’s technology functions independently, making it potentially useful in everyday driving. Nearly all users reported receiving at least one distraction warning in the month before the survey, while about one-third said they got a drowsiness alert.
False alarms and driver perceptions
A small minority of Subaru owners said they switched the system off because of frequent or annoying alerts. Some who reported “false alarms” may have misunderstood how DriverFocus works — for instance, changing lanes without signaling can trigger a distraction alert. Others said warnings occurred when they looked away to adjust navigation or climate controls.
“We do a lot of things behind the wheel almost unconsciously, without thinking that they’re unsafe,” said IIHS Research Scientist Aimee Cox, who led the study. “But those seemingly benign actions can pull our attention away from the road and increase the risk of crashing.”
Making alerts less irritating
IIHS researchers suggested that systems like DriverFocus might win over even more drivers if they rely less on audible beeps and more on subtle cues. Previous research on lane departure systems has shown that haptic alerts, such as steering wheel vibrations, are less annoying to drivers than loud sounds.
Cox said the findings show that drowsiness warnings, while less common, are especially important because the risk of a crash is so high when a driver is on the verge of falling asleep. “That shows drowsiness is certainly common enough to be a concern,” she said.