New regulations will soon require drivers to be filmed in their cars.
Mobile phone, latest generation navigation screen, digital tablet…the temptations to take your eyes off the road are more and more numerous in cars. Just like the number of stops by the police and accidents caused by motorists not sufficiently focused on their driving. To combat this growing scourge, new security standards are emerging. Particularly at the European level with the stated objective of zero deaths on the roads by 2050. A new regulation, called General Safety Regulation 2, will also come into force on July 7, 2024 in France, as in all other countries of the European Union.
In particular, it will require car manufacturers to integrate sensors into each of their new vehicles. What purpose ? To observe driver behavior. If these facial sensors detect a prolonged period of inattention, light alerts on the dashboard are activated to force the driver to look back on the road. According to BFM, which was able to test this mandatory device from next summer, this system must warn the driver when he takes his eyes off the road for more than 6 seconds at a speed between 20 and 50 kilometers/hour and at beyond 3.5 seconds if he drives more than 50km/h. A colorful “Look at the road” message is then displayed on the dashboard to remind the driver to concentrate on driving.
And in two years, European regulations will take another turn. On this date, car manufacturers will be required to integrate a camera into all their new vehicles. Smile, you’re being filmed. Yes, but for what purpose? Like the sensors, this infrared camera, probably integrated into the steering wheel, will be used to analyze the position and orientation of the head but it will also be able to detect eye blinking and the rate of eyelid closing. In addition to detecting whether the driver is looking elsewhere, on their Smartphone for example, the camera will also prevent the person behind the wheel from becoming drowsy. Here too, light signals will be sent to regain the driver’s attention. But manufacturers will also be able to add sound alerts to this device, more effective in “waking up” the driver.
Although some people may soon complain about being filmed in their own car, the loss of attention on the road, voluntary (distraction) or not (drowsiness), is responsible for many traffic accidents each year. It is also good to remember that for everyone’s safety it is prohibited to make telephone calls while driving, an offense punishable by a withdrawal of 3 points on the license and a fine of 135 euros, and that it is strongly recommended recommended that motorists take a break every two hours, in order to limit fatigue while driving.