New Cars in the EU Must Detect If the Driver Is Looking at Their Smartphone

Starting this week, an important new regulation for the EU automotive sector concerning safety comes into force. Cars registered after July 7th must be equipped with enhanced safety features that can detect driver distraction. This new requirement is in addition to the presence of the Emergency Stop Signal.

An Anti-Distraction System

The main feature of the regulatory update is called the Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW). The system must be able to determine if the driver is looking away from the road for too long. A typical scenario involves distractions related to smartphones, but the anti-distraction system must also recognize if the driver is staring at the car's central display for excessive periods or has turned to look at the back seat while driving.

Detection occurs via a camera, as well as through a series of sensors designed to gather data useful for detecting distraction. Driver recognition is not necessary; the system only requires identification of head position and gaze direction.

In the event of prolonged inattention, an alarm is triggered. The alert system activates after a few seconds, but the actual activation time is related to the vehicle's speed. The alarm can be visual, auditory, or tactile.

Among other updates included in the regulatory changes is an improvement in the ability to recognize pedestrians and cyclists for the emergency automatic braking system, which must consequently become more effective.