EU mandates interior driver‑monitoring cameras in new cars

From 1 July 2026 all newly registered passenger cars in the European Union must be equipped with an interior driver‑monitoring camera system, known as Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW). The technology uses infrared sensors to track the driver’s gaze, head pose and eye movement and issues an audible and visual alarm when distraction exceeds a few seconds. It is part of the EU’s “Vision Zero” plan to cut road deaths to near‑zero by 2038.

The system processes video data locally inside the vehicle and deletes the raw footage immediately after the alert; no cloud transmission or biometric face‑recognition is permitted. German data‑protection officials said the rules meet privacy requirements, quoting a spokesperson: “Insoweit genügt die gesetzliche Regelung datenschutzrechtlichen Ansprüchen.” Traffic‑safety experts, such as psychologist Michael Praxenthaler, consider the measures a useful supplement, noting that “the existing field studies show they positively influence gaze behaviour,” although definitive evidence of accident‑rate reduction is still lacking. The rollout has sparked social‑media criticism likening it to “Big Brother on the road,” but authorities say compliance will be monitored by state data‑protection officers.

Alongside ADDW, the EU also requires other advanced driver‑assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking and enhanced stop‑signal devices, compelling manufacturers to adapt vehicle architectures and compliance programmes across the bloc.