Drivers seem to be embracing a type of safety technology: driver focus monitoring.

A recent study of Subaru vehicle models with the automaker’s DriverFocus system found that almost nine out of 10 turn it on most of the time, if not all the time they spend in their cars.

Respondents to the survey of about 3,500 Subaru owners told the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that they also want the technology in the next vehicles they buy.

IIHS studied the technology due to the danger drowsiness and distracted driving pose on the road. Together, the two factored into nearly 4,000 traffic deaths in 2023, an estimate the nonprofit group suspects to be conservative.

The Subaru study found 64% of drivers who use DriverFocus believe it makes their driving safer.

“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 in a press release on the study findings.

Subaru’s DriverFocus uses cameras facing the driver to determine if the driver’s eyes are open and trained on the road. Some such systems also monitor steering patterns and lane departures.

A small number of drivers don’t use DriverFocus, saying they find its alerts annoying. IIHS found in a separate study that inaudible warnings, such as steering wheel vibrations, tend to be less annoying for drivers and therefore more likely to be used.

About a third of survey participants said they got a drowsiness warning in the 30 days before the study.

“That shows drowsiness is certainly common enough to be a concern,” said Research Scientist Aimee Cox. “It’s also something that drivers may worry about more than the distracting activities they engage in more often, which could help encourage more people to adopt the technology.”

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