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27 April, 2023

Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) and the GSR: A Vital Part of the EU’s Automotive Safety Strategy

A distracted driver in a car, texting while driving.

How the EU’s General Safety Regulation (GSR) Will Bring Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) to 18 Million Vehicles

The automotive industry is on the cusp of a major turning point. 

Over the last few years, Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) have gradually taken their place as an essential safety technology in the minds of car manufacturers creating their latest models. Now, we’re seeing the end of this initial period of early adoption.   

In 2026, every single one of the 18 million vehicles put on the European market will need to be able to effectively detect driver drowsiness and distraction. The production of cars without driver monitoring systems will be brought to a hard stop – and the one pulling the brakes will be the European Union (EU).   

The GSR: The Safety Measures to Cut Road Fatalities in Half 

Thanks to developing vehicle technologies and other safety measures, road fatalities have decreased over the past decades. Nevertheless, 22,800 people were killed on European roads in 2019. Although this number is almost 25% lower compared to 2010, the rate of decline has significantly slowed down. Recognizing this, the EU is set on doing its utmost to reduce, or better yet eliminate, accidents and injuries on European roads.  

As a result, the EU has adopted an effective package of measures: the General Safety Regulation (GSR). With this new regulation in place, the EU is expecting to save over 25,000 lives and avoid at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038.  

Trucks with Smart Eye's AIS Driver Monitoring System om road

Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) Systems: A Shift in Automotive Safety  

An important portion of these lives saved, and injuries avoided, will be due to the implementation of Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) systems. By detecting impaired driving at an early stage, these technologies can prevent road accidents caused by human error. 

The positive effects these systems will have on road safety are undeniable – not just in Europe but in the entire world. However, they also leave car manufacturers with many issues to consider. The EU’s adoption of the GSR represents a shift in automotive safety and vehicle design, bringing challenges as well as opportunities for car manufacturers and automotive suppliers everywhere.

In this blog series, we shine the spotlight on these new regulations and dig into the details of what they will mean for the automotive industry at large.

To learn more about the GSR and how the EU is fighting driver distraction, keep reading the next blog of the series. 

 

Interested in learning more about the automotive technologies of the future? Read our eBook “Interior Sensing: The Next Frontier In Improving Road Safety and the Mobility Experience”.

Written by Fanny Lyrheden
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