Tesla Boosts Driving Safety to New Heights

Tesla is ramping up driver monitoring, using yawning, blinking, and other factors to track driver fatigue, according to Electrek. The automaker has long been criticized for not closely monitoring drivers using advanced assistance functions, such as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. Previously, the company could only determine the driver’s activity by torque on the steering wheel; drivers had to move the wheel so the system knew they were still holding their hands in place. In 2021, Tesla began using an interior camera to ensure the driver was looking at the road. Now, however, the company is monitoring other factors such as yawning and blinking to calculate driver fatigue. The statistics will be compared with information about the vehicle’s trajectory and automated interventions. Electrek suggests Tesla has finally realized the importance of monitoring driver fatigue as vehicles move towards greater autonomy.