The US’ largest automaker, General Motors (GM), recently announced that it will install eye monitoring technology to make sure motorists remain alert even as they engage autopilot in their vehicles.

The technology will involve the use of sensors that will detect if the driver is dozing off, or has his eyes off the road. Called “Super Cruise,” the software will use sound and visual alerts to call the driver’s attention to the oversight. If the alerts don’t work, a representative with the car maker’s OnStar information service will engage the vehicle’s intercom and communicate with the motorist. If it still elicits no response from the driver, the vehicle will be pulled over to the side of the road, and stopped.  

GM has been testing the eye tracking technology for a couple of years now to address the increasing market demand for driving assistance features. Super Cruise will make its debut in Cadillacs next year. However, GM has yet to declare the cost of the option in the vehicles.

Car makers in the US have been wary about releasing their autonomous car technologies to the general public following the fatal crash involving a driver operating a Tesla car on autopilot mode.