EU mandates interior driver‑monitoring cameras in new cars

Starting 1 July 2026 all new passenger cars sold in the European Union must be equipped with an interior driver‑monitoring system called Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW). The camera‑based system uses infrared sensors to scan the driver’s face, head position and gaze direction and issues an audible alarm when the driver looks away from the road for too long.

The EU regulation requires that the video data be processed locally inside the vehicle and deleted immediately after the alert; no transmission to cloud services, manufacturers, insurers or authorities is permitted and biometric face‑recognition is expressly prohibited. Data‑protection authorities say the rules comply with EU privacy law, with one spokesperson stating, “The legal regulation meets data‑protection requirements.”

The measure is part of the EU’s “Vision Zero” road‑safety programme that aims to cut traffic deaths by 2038. Officials cite studies estimating that 10‑30 % of European crashes are caused by driver distraction, mainly illegal smartphone use. Traffic‑psychologist Michael Praxenthaler of the Allianz Centre for Technology notes, “The existing scientific field studies show they can positively influence gaze behaviour. The concrete evidence of accident‑risk reduction in real traffic is still missing.” The system is intended to reduce distraction‑related crashes, though its real‑world safety impact has yet to be proven.