Photo: Tesla
Tesla will launch Driver Drowsiness detection on the Model 3 Highland sold in Europe. The system is mandatory for all new vehicle types launched after July 2022 and all new vehicles from July 7, 2024. There's no word about the new safety feature coming to the US vehicles, though.
Modern vehicles offer many driver-assist features that enhance driving safety for everyone. Among the most common are the lane-keeping system (LKAS) and the automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. Still, many others offer helpful information to drivers or even take control of the car in tricky situations. These systems include blind spot monitoring, stability control, adaptive cruise control, and collision avoidance systems.
Leading carmakers have introduced many such systems as paid options, a move that hasn't proved very popular with buyers. Safety assessment programs like EuroNCAP had a significant role in democratizing these safety helpers, making it impossible for carmakers to achieve the highest ratings without them. Then came the regulators after seeing the benefits of having electronic nannies inside cars.
The latter factor was also at play for Tesla, which introduced a Driver Drowsiness Warning on the refreshed Model 3 sold in Europe. The news made all Tesla fans cheer as if it had invented the wheel. "Another day, another safety improvement coming to millions of Tesla via over-the-air software update," wrote @WholeMarsBlog on Twitter. Except it's not coming unless it's a Model 3 Highland sold in Europe.
"This can save a lot of lives. Other car manufacturers should implement the same," added another Tesla fan. I'm not the one to minimize Tesla's safety efforts, which are outstanding, but other carmakers have already offered drowsiness detection systems for many years. They are even more prevalent in Europe, where such systems are mandatory for all new vehicle types since 2022.
This is precisely why the feature is only documented in the Model 3's owner's manual. The refreshed Model 3 is considered a new type and thus required by EU legislation to feature a drowsiness detection system. This will become mandatory on all new vehicles sold in the EU from July 7, 2024, at which point other Tesla models must also have this feature. The real breaking news will be when Tesla brings these systems to cars sold in other markets, including the US.
The Driver Drowsiness System activates when the vehicle is driven over 65 kph (40 mph) for a minimum of 10 minutes and the Autopilot is not engaged. The system monitors the driver's facial characteristics as well as driving behavior to determine patterns indicative of drowsiness.
When driver drowsiness is detected, an alert is displayed on the touchscreen in the cards area, and an alarm sounds in the cabin. The driver can disable the Driver Drowsiness Warning for the current drive cycle, but it automatically reenables whenever you start the car.
Leading carmakers have introduced many such systems as paid options, a move that hasn't proved very popular with buyers. Safety assessment programs like EuroNCAP had a significant role in democratizing these safety helpers, making it impossible for carmakers to achieve the highest ratings without them. Then came the regulators after seeing the benefits of having electronic nannies inside cars.
The latter factor was also at play for Tesla, which introduced a Driver Drowsiness Warning on the refreshed Model 3 sold in Europe. The news made all Tesla fans cheer as if it had invented the wheel. "Another day, another safety improvement coming to millions of Tesla via over-the-air software update," wrote @WholeMarsBlog on Twitter. Except it's not coming unless it's a Model 3 Highland sold in Europe.
"This can save a lot of lives. Other car manufacturers should implement the same," added another Tesla fan. I'm not the one to minimize Tesla's safety efforts, which are outstanding, but other carmakers have already offered drowsiness detection systems for many years. They are even more prevalent in Europe, where such systems are mandatory for all new vehicle types since 2022.
This is precisely why the feature is only documented in the Model 3's owner's manual. The refreshed Model 3 is considered a new type and thus required by EU legislation to feature a drowsiness detection system. This will become mandatory on all new vehicles sold in the EU from July 7, 2024, at which point other Tesla models must also have this feature. The real breaking news will be when Tesla brings these systems to cars sold in other markets, including the US.
The Driver Drowsiness System activates when the vehicle is driven over 65 kph (40 mph) for a minimum of 10 minutes and the Autopilot is not engaged. The system monitors the driver's facial characteristics as well as driving behavior to determine patterns indicative of drowsiness.
When driver drowsiness is detected, an alert is displayed on the touchscreen in the cards area, and an alarm sounds in the cabin. The driver can disable the Driver Drowsiness Warning for the current drive cycle, but it automatically reenables whenever you start the car.
Another day, another safety improvement coming to millions of Tesla via over the air software update.
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 17, 2023
These kinds of features are why many wouldn’t put their kids or loved ones in anything but a Tesla. https://t.co/0Xqln4fYK5
This can save a lot of lives. Other car manufacturers should implement the same
— Alex Canada (@AlexCanada) October 18, 2023
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