Too Many False Alerts? How to Tune ADAS and DSM on Teltonika Dashcams
Charles Alexis
An AI dashcam that sends too many alerts is almost as bad as one that sends none, because people stop looking.
Why false alerts are a real problem
False alerts cost you in four ways:
- Wasted time. Managers review footage that doesn’t matter.
- Wasted data. Every alert can trigger an upload over 4G.
- Lost trust. Drivers who get flagged unfairly stop taking alerts seriously and push back on the whole system.
- Missed incidents. When managers are swamped, real events get buried.
Teltonika says as much in its own launch material for the KeepCam and ProCam. That’s why both cameras give you real control over how the AI behaves. If you’re new to these cameras, start with our KeepCam and ProCam explainer.
Why edge AI gets it wrong
Both cameras run their AI on the device. That’s fast and cheap on data, but the camera has limited processing power and only sees what’s in front of it. It can mistake a shadow for a car, sunglasses for closed eyes, or a mirror check for distraction. Our edge AI vs cloud AI guide explains the trade-off.
The good news: most false alerts follow patterns, and patterns can be tuned out.
What you can adjust
In Teltonika’s TCT configuration tool, you can adjust:
- Alert thresholds. How severe an event must be before it triggers.
- Detection duration. How long a behaviour must last before it counts.
- Notification intervals. How often the same alert can repeat.
- Upload settings. Which events send footage automatically.
- AI sensitivity. How readily the camera flags something.
These settings work together. Small changes to two of them often beat a big change to one.
A practical tuning process
1. Get positioning right first
A lot of false alerts come from cameras that are slightly off. Before touching any AI settings, preview every channel in TCT and check the view is level, centred and unobstructed. A front camera tilted down misjudges distance. A driver camera at the wrong angle misreads head position.
2. Start with a pilot
Fit cameras to 5 to 10 vehicles first, ideally a mix of drivers and routes. Run them for two weeks on default settings and log every alert.
3. Sort alerts into real and false
Review a sample of each alert type. Note which types are mostly genuine and which are mostly noise. A simple spreadsheet works: alert type, count, number genuine, number false.
4. Fix the noisiest alert first
Change one setting at a time. If you change everything at once, you won’t know what worked.
5. Use detection duration before sensitivity
Many false alerts are momentary. A driver glances at a mirror and gets flagged as distracted. Increasing how long a behaviour must last often fixes this without making the AI less sharp.
6. Limit repeats
Raise notification intervals so one ongoing event doesn’t generate ten alerts.
7. Tune uploads separately
You don’t have to upload every alert. Let low-risk alerts log without video, and upload clips only for serious events. That cuts data use without losing the record.
8. Review again after two weeks
Check the alert rate has dropped and real events are still being caught. Then roll the settings out across the fleet.
Common causes and fixes
Distraction alerts when drivers check mirrors
Increase the detection duration for distraction. Mirror checks are short. Real distraction lasts longer.
Fatigue alerts with sunglasses
Infrared camera modules help in low light. For daytime sunglasses, test sensitivity and duration settings. Some sunglasses block infrared and confuse eye tracking. If the problem persists, raise it with your supplier.
Collision warnings in slow traffic
Check the camera angle first. A badly positioned camera misjudges distance. Then review the threshold. Urban fleets like taxis and PHVs often need different settings to motorway fleets.
Lane departure alerts on every lane change
Connect the vehicle’s indicators to the camera. Teltonika recommends using digital inputs 1 and 2 for the turn signals so the camera knows a lane change is deliberate. This is one of the simplest and most effective fixes.
Phone use alerts for hands-free calls
Check whether the alert is firing on a phone in a cradle. Adjust duration and review the camera angle.
Alerts at night only
Check the infrared is working and the lens is clean. Dirty windscreens and lenses cause problems at night.
Settings by fleet type
Taxi and PHV. Lots of urban stop-start driving. Expect to adjust collision thresholds. See our taxi and PHV page.
Car rental. Many unfamiliar drivers. Keep alerts focused on serious events to avoid flooding the team. See our car rental page.
Logistics. Long shifts make fatigue alerts valuable. Prioritise getting those right. See our logistics page.
Keep drivers involved
Share what you’re changing and why. Drivers often know exactly which alerts are unfair. Their feedback speeds up tuning and builds trust in the system.
When it isn’t a settings problem
If tuning doesn’t help, check:
- Camera firmware is up to date
- Lens and windscreen are clean
- The camera is mounted securely and not vibrating
- Turn signal wiring is correct
For connection or setup issues, see our Teltonika dashcam troubleshooting guide.
FAQ
What’s a good false alert rate?
There’s no industry standard, but if managers are dismissing most alerts without watching them, the rate is too high. Aim for a level where every alert gets looked at and most lead to a conversation or a note.
Should drivers hear every alert in the cab?
Not always. In-cab audio for collision and fatigue warnings is valuable. For lower-risk events, a silent log can be enough. Too many beeps and drivers tune them out, just like managers do.
Can I copy settings to every camera?
Yes. Once your pilot settings work, save them as a configuration file in TCT and load it onto the rest of the fleet. Keep a record of each version.
Will reducing sensitivity make the camera less safe?
Not if you tune carefully. The goal is fewer false alerts, not fewer real ones. Measure both.
How often should I review settings?
After the pilot, then every few months or whenever you change routes, vehicles or drivers.
Summary
Tune in small steps, measure each change, and keep the alerts that drive real coaching. A quiet, accurate system gets used. A noisy one gets ignored.
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