Attentive/tiredness detection

[ChuckUK]

How does the IR camera assess alertness / tiredness? I have never had a warning about tiredness activate while driving my 2021 Mach-e. The other day, the wife drove a short journey and within 5 mins a warning popped up suggesting that she takes a rest. It was possibly detrimental to my marriage when I suggested that perhaps she looked tired. I have since tried testing the feature by yawning / squinting etc. but I can’t make it activate. What does the IR system detect and is this confused by driving position or glasses?

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[RickMachE]

Stare straight ahead without blinking.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I think it looks at if you're driving all over the road and hitting the lines.

 

[rhougey]

How does the IR camera assess alertness / tiredness? I have never had a warning about tiredness activate while driving my 2021 Mach-e. The other day, the wife drove a short journey and within 5 mins a warning popped up suggesting that she takes a rest. It was possibly detrimental to my marriage when I suggested that perhaps she looked tired. I have since tried testing the feature by yawning / squinting etc. but I can’t make it activate. What does the IR system detect and is this confused by driving position or glasses?

Hmmm.
That’s interesting, because like you, in 63,000 miles neither I or my wife have ever gotten any message from the infrared nanny. Does it chime or just a visual? I’m also curious what cues it’s actually using.

 

[hybrid2bev]

I’ll save your marriage. Instead of saying that she looks tired say ‘The CAR thinks you’re tired’ or ‘The CAR thinks that you’re weaving out of the lane’ or ‘The CAR thinks that you’re not a good driver’.

I’ve gotten that same message from our 2020 Explorer (no IR camera or BlueCruise). It’s not a IR camera thing. It’s the car not staying in the lane thing.

https://www.ford.com/support/vehicl...ow-do-i-use-the-driver-alert-system/overview/

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

https://www.ford.com/support/vehicl...ow-do-i-use-the-driver-alert-system/overview/

“If the system detects that your driving pattern has become irregular, it gives you an audible and visual warning”

if your wife is using a separate profile, perhaps this warning is turned off in your profile and on in hers. That may explain why you’ve never seen it.

 

[rhougey]

https://www.ford.com/support/vehicl...ow-do-i-use-the-driver-alert-system/overview/

“If the system detects that your driving pattern has become irregular, it gives you an audible and visual warning”

if your wife is using a separate profile, perhaps this warning is turned off in your profile and on in hers. That may explain why you’ve never seen it.

So, as the Driver Alert system is described in the above link, this is a different system than the one that uses the infrared camera behind the steering wheel. It is only using the windshield camera to watch your driving performance apparently.

 

[ChuckUK]

https://www.ford.com/support/vehicl...ow-do-i-use-the-driver-alert-system/overview/

“If the system detects that your driving pattern has become irregular, it gives you an audible and visual warning”

if your wife is using a separate profile, perhaps this warning is turned off in your profile and on in hers. That may explain why you’ve never seen it.

No, it was turned on in both profiles. I’ve turned it off now to prevent having to have more discussions about what the car thinks of her appearance/ driving style. She doesn’t normally drive the car and so isn't used to the responsive acceleration and breaks. Maybe the driving was initially erratic.

 

[Teslaeata]

Don’t have this problem, wifey don’t drive Stangy - it’s MINE ?

Just driven 1,150 miles this week between Mon to Fri and no tiredness message so it’s not relative to time and/or distance travelled.

Never had this tiredness message before.

I do know old red snake eyes detectors are working because once I had somehow blocked their line of sight with my eyes, must’ve been rubbing my face, eyes or something and it came up with some kind of “We’re all going to die” message ?

So, it appears it’s your eyes, and possibly steering torque sensors detecting lack of activity.

Was wifey wearing particularly dark or mirror glasses?

 

[ChuckUK]

Don’t have this problem, wifey don’t drive Stangy - it’s MINE ?

Just driven 1,150 miles this week between Mon to Fri and no tiredness message so it’s not relative to time and/or distance travelled.

Never had this tiredness message before.

I do know old red snake eyes detectors are working because once I had somehow blocked their line of sight with my eyes, must’ve been rubbing my face, eyes or something and it came up with some kind of “We’re all going to die” message ?

So, it appears it’s your eyes, and possibly steering torque sensors detecting lack of activity.

Was wifey wearing particularly dark or mirror glasses?

No, it’s just me that’s visually impaired and there is no chance of sunglasses this time of year.

 

[rhfritz]

I've seen this message many times. It's due to not staying between the lines. Usually, it happens when I have to take my eyes off the road for a second because I need to reach over to the big screen to navigate a menu or push a button or five to figure out why my phone connection / android auto dropped out in the middle of navigating a trip. I'm actually glad I annoy the car when the car is annoying me. It's a good thing the camera can't detect the hand gestures I'm using as well.

 

[johnnycombo]

Could it be how she has the seat or steering wheel adjusted maybe even how she holds the steering wheel?

 

[rbertonieresr]

I’m not sure how it works but thank God it does. A few weeks ago I started a new medication that caused severe drowsiness. I had to leave work and on the way home I dosed off behind the wheel on the interstate. The car started beeping and it pumped the brakes to wake me up. I’ll never own a car without this feature going forward.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Could it be how she has the seat or steering wheel adjusted maybe even how she holds the steering wheel?

No, it detects swerving and driving over the lines. If you get the driver alert warning, it legit means you’re driving poorly and should take the hint before you crash into something.

You have to be driving really erratically before it will trigger. Like you have to hit the line like 3x times or more in a minute. I’ve never had it trigger while driving unless I was deliberately trying to test it.

I’m not sure how it works but thank God it does. A few weeks ago I started a new medication that caused severe drowsiness. I had to leave work and on the way home I dosed off behind the wheel on the interstate. The car started beeping and it pumped the brakes to wake me up. I’ll never own a car without this feature going forward.

This is why it bothers me that some people will disable safety features because it annoys them. These safety features are designed to save lives, and should be left turned on like in this case. If you are getting alerts, then modify your driving or habits so you don’t get them, simple.

I’d also like to point out that using lane centering can help prevent you from swerving all over the road. It’s safer than driving unassisted and hitting the lines.

 

[ChuckUK]

But using lane centering (or even blue cruise) would mean that you don’t drive over the lines and so could fall asleep without the system knowing. Yes, you would need to keep your hand on the wheel (unless you have the fancy hands free BC), however, I have fallen asleep numerous times with a pint in my hands and not spilt it (not whilst driving I should add, officer).

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