China's driver monitoring system misreads small eyes, sparks alarms
WeirdNews
The incident, shared by a Chinese blogger, highlights quirks in advanced vehicle safety
BEIJING (Dunya News) - In an unusual incident in China, a car’s driver monitoring system (DMS) repeatedly sounded alarms after mistaking a driver’s naturally small eyes for signs of sleepiness.
The incident, shared by a Chinese blogger, highlights quirks in advanced vehicle safety technology designed to track drivers’ attention and eye conditions.
The blogger, frustrated by the system’s persistent alerts, explained, “My eyes are just small; I’m not asleep.” The DMS, intended to detect drowsiness or distraction, issued repeated warnings for “driving distraction” or “sleepiness” due to the driver’s small eye size. In some instances, the angle and height of the driver’s face also contributed to the system’s misinterpretation.
This issue is not unique to one brand. General Motors’ vehicles have similarly flagged drivers with small eyes as “excessively fatigued.”
Likewise, Li Auto’s Lantu model automatically activated air conditioning in cold weather, while NIO’s ET7 issued warnings for perceived inattentiveness or fatigue, misjudging drivers’ facial features.
The incidents raise questions about the calibration of facial recognition technology in automotive safety systems, particularly for diverse facial structures.
