DDC-Chat: Achieving accurate distracted driver classification through instruction tuning of visual language model

Abstract

Driver behavior is a critical factor in road safety, highlighting the need for advanced methods in Distracted Driving Classification (DDC). In this study, we introduce DDC-Chat, a novel classification method based on a Visual large Language Model (VLM). DDC-Chat is an interactive multimodal system built upon LLAVA-Plus, fine-tuned specifically for addressing distracted driving detection. It utilizes logical reasoning chains to activate visual skills, including segmentation and pose detection, through end-to-end training. Furthermore, instruction tuning allows DDC-Chat to continuously incorporate new visual skills, enhancing its ability to classify distracted driving behavior. Our extensive experiments demonstrate that DDC-Chat achieves state-of-the-art performance on public DDC datasets, surpassing previous benchmarks. In evaluations on the 100-Driver dataset, the model exhibits superior results in both zero-shot and few-shot learning contexts, establishing it as a valuable tool for improving driving safety by accurately identifying driver distraction. Due to the computational intensity of inference, DDC-Chat is optimized for deployment on remote servers, with data streamed from in-vehicle monitoring systems for real-time analysis.