diff --git a/selfdrive/controls/lib/driver_monitor.py b/selfdrive/controls/lib/driver_monitor.py
index 88c431949..c489655d4 100644
--- a/selfdrive/controls/lib/driver_monitor.py
+++ b/selfdrive/controls/lib/driver_monitor.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from common.filter_simple import FirstOrderFilter
 from common.params import Params
 params = Params()
 
-_AWARENESS_TIME = 90.        # 1.5 minutes limit without user touching steering wheels make the car enter a terminal status
+_AWARENESS_TIME = int(params.get("DragonSteeringMonitorTimer"))
 _AWARENESS_PRE_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL = 20.    # a first alert is issued 20s before expiration
 _AWARENESS_PROMPT_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL = 5.  # a second alert is issued 5s before start decelerating the car
 _DISTRACTED_TIME = 10.
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ class DriverStatus():
     # dragonpilot
     self.dp_last_check = 0.
     self.dragon_enable_driver_safety_check = True
-    self.dragon_steering_monitor_timer = 180
 
   def _reset_filters(self):
     self.driver_distraction_filter.x = 0.
@@ -108,15 +107,15 @@ class DriverStatus():
   def _set_timers(self, active_monitoring):
     if active_monitoring:
       # when falling back from passive mode to active mode, reset awareness to avoid false alert
-      if self.step_change == DT_CTRL / self.dragon_steering_monitor_timer:
+      if self.step_change == DT_CTRL / _AWARENESS_TIME:
         self.awareness = 1.
       self.threshold_pre = _DISTRACTED_PRE_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL / _DISTRACTED_TIME
       self.threshold_prompt = _DISTRACTED_PROMPT_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL / _DISTRACTED_TIME
       self.step_change = DT_CTRL / _DISTRACTED_TIME
     else:
-      self.threshold_pre = _AWARENESS_PRE_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL / self.dragon_steering_monitor_timer
-      self.threshold_prompt = _AWARENESS_PROMPT_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL / self.dragon_steering_monitor_timer
-      self.step_change = DT_CTRL / self.dragon_steering_monitor_timer
+      self.threshold_pre = _AWARENESS_PRE_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL / _AWARENESS_TIME
+      self.threshold_prompt = _AWARENESS_PROMPT_TIME_TILL_TERMINAL / _AWARENESS_TIME
+      self.step_change = DT_CTRL / _AWARENESS_TIME
 
   def _is_driver_distracted(self, pose, blink):
     # TODO: natural pose calib of each driver
@@ -172,8 +171,6 @@ class DriverStatus():
     ts = sec_since_boot()
     if ts - self.dp_last_check > 3.:
       self.dragon_enable_driver_safety_check = False if params.get("DragonEnableDriverSafetyCheck") == "0" else True
-      timer = params.get("DragonSteeringMonitorTimer")
-      self.dragon_steering_monitor_timer = 60 * 60 * 24 if timer == "0" else int(timer) * 60
       self.dp_last_check = ts
 
     if not self.dragon_enable_driver_safety_check: