Tesla announced that a camera in the rearview mirror will initiate a connection with Autopilot to ensure that the driver is paying attention to the road when the system is on.

Tesla's Autopilot feature should require the full attention of the driver, but there are several examples that prove that it is too easy to avoid. As such, this is the next obvious step the company should take.

Previously, Autopilot used a torque sensor on the steering wheel to gauge driver attention. The driver had to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel while Autopilot was engaged, or the car would issue a series of warnings to alert the driver.

However, there are numerous examples of drivers using weights and other hacks to circumvent this system, which is apparently less effective. Meanwhile, other automakers have begun adding cameras and IR-based eye-tracking systems to ensure that drivers are actively paying attention to the road.

In the past, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has refused to include camera-based driver monitoring, claiming that the technology was "ineffective." Over time, however, it has become clear that Tesla's existing driver monitoring technology is not particularly effective either.

But it appears that Musk has finally succumbed to pressure from regulators, his own engineers, and competitors. So, as part of software update 2021.2.15.11 (via Elektrek), a new software update was pushed to Teslas with in-car cameras.

The cameras were previously used to monitor driver attention in a fully automated beta version of the car, some of whom were kicked out of the program for "not paying enough attention to the road." It now appears that the program is being rolled out to all Teslas with on-board cameras.

"The in-car camera above the rearview mirror is now able to detect and warn of driver inattention while Autopilot is active," the release notes say." The camera data does not leave the car itself. In other words, the system cannot store or transmit information unless data sharing is enabled."

There is no definition of "inattention" as defined by Tesla, and it is not clear whether this means that Tesla allows the driver to take his hands off the wheel during Autopilot operation.

But however the system works, it would mean at least one more way to stop drivers from reclining their seats and taking a nap while the car hurtles down the highway.