Driver attention warning (coffee cup) light
Can I keep driving? No maker page tells you to stop at once. Flashing amber or an amber cup: the car suggests a break (Hyundai, Kia, Chevrolet). Red cup: Chevrolet says you are showing signs of severe exhaustion and offers to take you to a place to stop. Steady amber on a Hyundai: the system is off or has a fault; have it inspected. What each maker's page says
A driver-monitoring system thinks you are drowsy or not watching the road and suggests a break. Chevrolet shows a yellow coffee cup when you need some effort to stay awake and a red one for signs of severe exhaustion. On Hyundai and Kia the amber inattentive-driving light blinks to suggest a break; if it stays on steadily, the system is switched off or has a fault.
Yellow / amberRed
Not defined by regulation: a maker convention
What to do
If it flashes or a cup appears, take a break where you can stop safely; Kia's handbook says a driver who feels tired should do so even when the car suggests nothing. A red cup on a Chevrolet means signs of severe exhaustion, and the car offers to find a place to stop. A steady amber light on a Hyundai means the system is off or faulty: if it stays on once the camera is clear, have the car inspected.
Makes differ: what this light means on your car, the other colours it may use for the symbol and what the car wants you to do are set by the manufacturer, so your car's owner's manual is the authority.
- Symbol
- A cup with steam rising from it
- Also called
- Coffee cup light; Inattentive driving warning light; Driver Attention Assist; Take a break light
- Colour
- Yellow / amber or Red
- Standard
- None — a maker convention, described here from 3 makers: Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia
Where makes differ
Chevrolet calls it Driver Attention Assist and uses a coffee cup in two colours, yellow then red, with chimes or seat pulses; if you seem asleep and do not respond it turns automatic braking and lane keeping back on. Hyundai and Kia call the lamp the Inattentive Driving Warning light: amber only, blinking for a break and steady for 'off or faulty', with the message 'Consider taking a break'. Kia's system will not suggest a break in the first 4 minutes of driving or within 4 minutes of the last suggestion. The sources do not say every make draws a cup.
Not defined by regulation: a maker convention
Neither US FMVSS 101 (Tables 1 and 2) nor UN Regulation No. 121 lists this light, so no rule fixes its symbol or its colour. What follows is what the makers cited below say; other makes, and other model years of the same make, may draw it differently.
Neither FMVSS 101 (Tables 1 and 2) nor UN Regulation No. 121 lists a driver drowsiness or attention tell-tale; the only 'attention' in either text is the general purpose clause about distraction. Checked 2026-10-12 in the editions cited on /dashboard/more/.
Related lights
Other yellow / amber maker lights
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) lightBox full of dots with a pipe at each end · maker convention
AdBlue (DEF) warning lightLiquid container with a wavy fill line and a drop · also red · maker convention
EPC (electronic power control) lightThe letters EPC · maker convention
Lane assist (lane keeping) lightLane markings running away from you, dashed line in the middle · also green · maker convention
Forward collision warning lightCar seen from behind with radar arcs around it · also red · maker convention
Blind spot monitor lightTwo cars side by side with signal waves between them · maker convention
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) lightSpeedometer dial with a needle · also green · maker convention
Auto Hold lightThe words AUTO HOLD · also green · maker convention
Power steering warning light (EPS)Steering wheel, sometimes with an exclamation mark · also red · maker convention
Water in fuel light (diesel)Fuel pump with water drops beside it · maker convention
Gearbox (transmission) warning lightCog wheel with an exclamation mark · maker convention
Key not detected lightKey with a question mark · maker convention
Bulb failure (exterior light) warningLight bulb with rays and an exclamation mark · maker convention
Hill descent control lightCar pointing down a slope · also green, red · maker convention
Auto stop-start lightLetter A inside a circular arrow · also green · maker convention
Service due (spanner) lightA spanner (wrench) · maker convention
Low engine oil level lightOil can above a wavy level line · maker convention
Frost / icy road warning (snowflake)A snowflake · maker convention
Low washer fluid lightWindscreen with a dashed fountain of spray · maker convention
Key battery low lightKey fob beside a small battery · maker convention
Immobiliser (security) lightCar outline with a key inside it · also red · maker convention
Reduced power (tortoise) lightA tortoise · maker convention
Pedestrian warning sound off or faultyWalking figure with sound waves · maker convention
4WD / AWD warning lightFour wheels joined by axles and a drive shaft · maker convention
Master warning light (triangle with !)An exclamation mark inside a triangle · also red · maker convention
Spanner warning light (a fault, not a service reminder)A spanner (wrench) · maker convention
Foot on brake light (press the brake pedal)A foot pressing a pedal · also green · maker convention
Electric drive system fault light (EV and hybrid)A car outline with an exclamation mark · also red · maker convention
Low drive battery light (electric cars)A battery with plus and minus signs, stacked on more cells · also red · maker convention
Speed limiter lightSpeedometer dial with a needle held under a limit mark · also green · maker conventionAll yellow / amber dashboard lights, regulated ones included
Other red maker lights
AdBlue (DEF) warning lightLiquid container with a wavy fill line and a drop · also yellow / amber · maker convention
Forward collision warning lightCar seen from behind with radar arcs around it · also yellow / amber · maker convention
Power steering warning light (EPS)Steering wheel, sometimes with an exclamation mark · also yellow / amber · maker convention
Door open lightCar seen from above with a door open · maker convention
Hill descent control lightCar pointing down a slope · also green, yellow / amber · maker convention
Immobiliser (security) lightCar outline with a key inside it · also yellow / amber · maker convention
Charging cable connected lightA plug on a cable · maker convention
Master warning light (triangle with !)An exclamation mark inside a triangle · also yellow / amber · maker convention
Electric drive system fault light (EV and hybrid)A car outline with an exclamation mark · also yellow / amber · maker convention
Low drive battery light (electric cars)A battery with plus and minus signs, stacked on more cells · also yellow / amber · maker conventionWhat each maker's page says
No regulation defines this light, so it is described from 3 carmakers' own manuals or owner pages: Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia. Each was opened with a plain request and is quoted word for word below, with the date it was checked. Everything above the table is our own summary of these quotes; the makers' pages cover their own models only.
| Maker and page | In their words |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Chevrolet Canada — About Driver Attention Assist (Driver Attention Assist Alerts) Checked 2026-10-12 | “You’ll see a yellow coffee cup icon in your cluster display and hear a chime (or feel a Safety Alert seat pulse). Level 2: You’re showing signs of severe exhaustion and are fighting to stay awake or drifting in and out of sleep. You’ll see a red coffee cup icon in your cluster display and hear several chimes (or feel Safety Alert seat pulses).” |
| Hyundai Hyundai owner's manual, 2025 Tucson (general market) — Warning and indicator lights (Inattentive Driving Warning light) Checked 2026-10-12 | “Yellow: When Driver Attention Warning is disabled or a malfunction is detected. […] This indicator light blinks: Yellow: Driver Attention Warning recommends to take a break.” |
| Kia Kia owner's manual, 2026 Tasman (UK) — Driver Attention Warning: Taking a break (Taking a break) Checked 2026-10-12 | “The driver who feels fatigued should take a break at a safe location, even though there is no break suggestion by Driver Attention Warning.” |