diff --git a/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.cc b/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.cc
index af481712b1..f58e7b1964 100644
--- a/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.cc
@@ -9,9 +9,6 @@
 #include "common/params.h"
 #include "driving.h"
 
-
-
-
 #define PATH_IDX 0
 #define LL_IDX PATH_IDX + MODEL_PATH_DISTANCE*2 + 1
 #define RL_IDX LL_IDX + MODEL_PATH_DISTANCE*2 + 2
@@ -48,17 +45,14 @@ void model_init(ModelState* s, cl_device_id device_id, cl_context context, int t
 #endif
 
 #ifdef DESIRE
-  s->prev_desire = (float*)malloc(DESIRE_LEN * sizeof(float));
-  for (int i = 0; i < DESIRE_LEN; i++) s->prev_desire[i] = 0.0;
-  s->pulse_desire = (float*)malloc(DESIRE_LEN * sizeof(float));
-  for (int i = 0; i < DESIRE_LEN; i++) s->pulse_desire[i] = 0.0;
-  s->m->addDesire(s->pulse_desire, DESIRE_LEN);
+  s->prev_desire = std::make_unique<float[]>(DESIRE_LEN);
+  s->pulse_desire = std::make_unique<float[]>(DESIRE_LEN);
+  s->m->addDesire(s->pulse_desire.get(), DESIRE_LEN);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef TRAFFIC_CONVENTION
-  s->traffic_convention = (float*)malloc(TRAFFIC_CONVENTION_LEN * sizeof(float));
-  for (int i = 0; i < TRAFFIC_CONVENTION_LEN; i++) s->traffic_convention[i] = 0.0;
-  s->m->addTrafficConvention(s->traffic_convention, TRAFFIC_CONVENTION_LEN);
+  s->traffic_convention = std::make_unique<float[]>(TRAFFIC_CONVENTION_LEN);
+  s->m->addTrafficConvention(s->traffic_convention.get(), TRAFFIC_CONVENTION_LEN);
 
   std::vector<char> result = read_db_bytes("IsRHD");
   if (result.size() > 0) {
@@ -79,8 +73,6 @@ void model_init(ModelState* s, cl_device_id device_id, cl_context context, int t
   }
 }
 
-
-
 ModelDataRaw model_eval_frame(ModelState* s, cl_command_queue q,
                            cl_mem yuv_cl, int width, int height,
                            mat3 transform, void* sock,
@@ -100,7 +92,6 @@ ModelDataRaw model_eval_frame(ModelState* s, cl_command_queue q,
   }
 #endif
 
-
   //for (int i = 0; i < OUTPUT_SIZE + TEMPORAL_SIZE; i++) { printf("%f ", s->output[i]); } printf("\n");
 
   float *new_frame_buf = frame_prepare(&s->frame, q, yuv_cl, width, height, transform);
@@ -163,7 +154,6 @@ void poly_fit(float *in_pts, float *in_stds, float *out, int valid_len) {
   out[3] = y0;
 }
 
-
 void fill_path(cereal::ModelData::PathData::Builder path, const float * data, bool has_prob, const float offset) {
   float points_arr[MODEL_PATH_DISTANCE];
   float stds_arr[MODEL_PATH_DISTANCE];
diff --git a/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.h b/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.h
index 83d967d23a..2bf4d61500 100644
--- a/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.h
+++ b/selfdrive/modeld/models/driving.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "runners/run.h"
 
 #include <czmq.h>
+#include <memory>
 #include "messaging.hpp"
 
 #define MODEL_WIDTH 512
@@ -58,11 +59,11 @@ typedef struct ModelState {
   float *input_frames;
   RunModel *m;
 #ifdef DESIRE
-  float *prev_desire;
-  float *pulse_desire;
+  std::unique_ptr<float[]> prev_desire;
+  std::unique_ptr<float[]> pulse_desire;
 #endif
 #ifdef TRAFFIC_CONVENTION
-  float *traffic_convention;
+  std::unique_ptr<float[]> traffic_convention;
 #endif
 } ModelState;