diff --git a/motmetrics/apps/eval_detrac.py b/motmetrics/apps/eval_detrac.py
index 9da4676..94ab8ef 100644
--- a/motmetrics/apps/eval_detrac.py
+++ b/motmetrics/apps/eval_detrac.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import motmetrics as mm
+from motmetrics.utils import is_in_region
 
 
 def parse_args():
@@ -67,6 +68,16 @@ def parse_args():
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
+def filter_dets_by_zone(gt_df, test_df):
+    ig_region = gt_df[['X_reg', 'Y_reg', 'W_reg', 'H_reg']].dropna().values
+    dets = test_df[['X', 'Y', 'Width', 'Height']]
+    for idx, row in dets.iterrows():
+        bbox = [dets.at[idx, 'X'], dets.at[idx, 'Y'], dets.at[idx, 'Width'], dets.at[idx, 'Height']]
+        for reg in ig_region:
+            if is_in_region(bbox, reg):
+                test_df.drop([idx], axis=0, inplace=True)
+                break
+
 def compare_dataframes(gts, ts):
     """Builds accumulator for each sequence."""
     accs = []
@@ -74,6 +85,7 @@ def compare_dataframes(gts, ts):
     for k, tsacc in ts.items():
         if k in gts:
             logging.info('Comparing %s...', k)
+            filter_dets_by_zone(gts[k], tsacc)
             accs.append(mm.utils.compare_to_groundtruth(gts[k], tsacc, 'iou', distth=0.5))
             names.append(k)
         else:
diff --git a/motmetrics/io.py b/motmetrics/io.py
index ca29c6a..99a6ce1 100644
--- a/motmetrics/io.py
+++ b/motmetrics/io.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 import scipy.io
 import xmltodict
 
+from motmetrics.utils import is_in_region
+
 
 class Format(Enum):
     """Enumerates supported file formats."""
@@ -271,6 +273,18 @@ def load_detrac_xml(fname):
     with io.open(fname) as fd:
         doc = xmltodict.parse(fd.read())
     frameList = doc['sequence']['frame']
+    ignored_region_list = doc['sequence']['ignored_region']
+    if type(ignored_region_list['box']) != list:
+        ignored_region_list['box'] = [ignored_region_list['box']]
+
+    parsed_ig = []
+    for ig in ignored_region_list['box']:
+        row = []
+        row.append(float(ig['@left']))
+        row.append(float(ig['@top']))
+        row.append(float(ig['@width']))
+        row.append(float(ig['@height']))
+        parsed_ig.append(row)
 
     parsedGT = []
     for f in frameList:
@@ -280,6 +294,7 @@ def load_detrac_xml(fname):
             targetList = [targetList]
 
         for t in targetList:
+            flag_ignore = False
             row = []
             row.append(fid)
             row.append(int(t['@id']))
@@ -291,10 +306,20 @@ def load_detrac_xml(fname):
             row.append(-1)
             row.append(-1)
             row.append(-1)
-            parsedGT.append(row)
+            bbox = [row[2], row[3], row[4], row[5]]
+            for reg in parsed_ig:
+                if is_in_region(bbox, reg):
+                    flag_ignore = True
+                    break
+            if not flag_ignore:
+                parsedGT.append(row)
 
     df = pd.DataFrame(parsedGT,
                       columns=['FrameId', 'Id', 'X', 'Y', 'Width', 'Height', 'Confidence', 'ClassId', 'Visibility', 'unused'])
+
+    df_reg = pd.DataFrame(parsed_ig, columns=['X_reg', 'Y_reg', 'W_reg', 'H_reg'])
+    df = df.append(df_reg)
+
     df.set_index(['FrameId', 'Id'], inplace=True)
 
     # Account for matlab convention.
diff --git a/motmetrics/utils.py b/motmetrics/utils.py
index 520573a..621595e 100644
--- a/motmetrics/utils.py
+++ b/motmetrics/utils.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 import numpy as np
+from shapely.geometry import Point
+from shapely.geometry.polygon import Polygon
 
 from motmetrics.distances import iou_matrix, norm2squared_matrix
 from motmetrics.mot import MOTAccumulator
@@ -176,3 +178,41 @@ def compute_euc(a, b):
         acc.update(oids, hids, dists, frameid=fid, vf=vflag)
 
     return acc, analysis
+
+
+def is_in_region(bbox, reg):
+    # Check if the 4 points of the bbox are inside region
+    points = []
+    # Center
+    cx = bbox[0] + (bbox[2] / 2)
+    cy = bbox[1] + (bbox[3] / 2)
+    points.append(Point(cx, cy))
+    # # Top-left
+    # x1 = bbox[0]
+    # y1 = bbox[1]
+    # points.append(Point(x1, y1))
+    # # Top-right
+    # x1 = bbox[0] + bbox[2]
+    # y1 = bbox[1]
+    # points.append(Point(x1, y1))
+    # # Bot-right
+    # x1 = bbox[0] + bbox[2]
+    # y1 = bbox[1] + bbox[3]
+    # points.append(Point(x1, y1))
+    # # Bot-left
+    # x1 = bbox[0]
+    # y1 = bbox[1] + bbox[3]
+    # points.append(Point(x1, y1))
+
+    # Region
+    p_xy0 = (reg[0], reg[1])
+    p_xy1 = (reg[0] + reg[2], reg[1])
+    p_xy2 = (reg[0] + reg[2], reg[1] + reg[3])
+    p_xy3 = (reg[0], reg[1] + reg[3])
+    region = [p_xy0, p_xy1, p_xy2, p_xy3]
+    polygon = Polygon(region)
+
+    flags_inside = [polygon.contains(p) for p in points]
+    flag_inside = all(flags_inside)
+
+    return flag_inside