There’s a sense with driving these days that the world is creating all-new ways to be distracted.
ChatGPT is now just a voice prompt away, and Siri has a more natural and realistic voice. What seemed more like a technical (but obviously non-human) marvel at one time has transformed into more like a trusted friend. The imminent release of Alexa+ proves the point even more—the latest version will be far more intelligent and could even carry on a long conversation.
That means automakers will need to become even more “in your voice” to make sure you are focused on driving. Recently, I tested the Subaru Solterra all-electric SUV to see if the attention-monitoring features live up to my expectations.
First and foremost, this new SUV is still a Subaru—it has Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive like any other model, even if it doesn’t have a gas engine. The ground clearance of 8.3 feet is also unique among a crowded field of budget models that have an electric motor. Range hovers around 227 miles per charge, and a fast charger boosts this EV from almost empty to 80% in just 35 minutes. (The last 20% of charging often takes the longest on any EV.)
I noticed right away that the attention monitoring features are more vigilant than I’m used to. Subaru officially describes it this way: “This system uses a near-infrared camera to constantly monitor the driver’s eye and head position while driving. If the system detects the driver is not looking at the road, it will alert the driver with a buzzer and display a warning. This system is designed to help drivers maintain focus and reduce the risk of distractions while driving.”
I would say it is a slightly more aggressive system designed for a world that is more distracted than ever. Glancing at my phone for too long on a secluded road near my house triggered the warning system right away. On some makes and models, when I’ve tried to test out the attention monitoring (which has been around for many years, including Mercedes-Benz models that remind you to take a break if you have driven the car too long), I’ve had to wait a while.
The alert chimed and showed an attention warning in the dash, not so loud and obnoxious that it startled me but obvious enough to snap me out of a daydream quite easily. I also tested looking to the side window for a bit and that also triggered the warning.
The infrared camera is constantly looking at you to see if you are regularly looking at the road. And I mean regularly. It works by tracking where your eyes are looking in real-time. Glance to the side or down into the cab for too long and you’ll get buzzed. (Could we all get to the point where there is an actual electric buzz in the seat to make sure we are paying attention? Cadillac and other GM vehicles already rumble the seat as a proximity warning, so this does not seem far-fetched.) I have seen some reports from drivers that the attention-monitoring is a bit much at times, but my tests revealed that the Driver Monitoring System works reliably.
What comes next? I’ll be curious if automated driving tech will eventually take over when the driver is not responding fast enough to the attention warnings. That would be like the car saying it can drive better than a human. If you have ever driven in heavy traffic, maybe it’s true.