Drivers have been warned about new safety rules coming this summer, which could affect every new car sold in the UK with mandatory new features.
From July 7, all new vehicles sold across the UK and Europe could be fitted with camera technology designed to spot if a driver is drunk, on drugs, distracted or too tired to drive safely.
The move forms part of a major push to improve road safety, with campaigners hoping the technology could help cut the number of deaths linked to drink and drug driving.
According to Department for Transport figures, it showed around one in five fatal crashes in the UK involve alcohol or drugs.
In 2023, 260 people were killed and 1,600 seriously injured in crashes involving drivers over the legal alcohol limit. Drug-driving collisions caused another 124 deaths and 57 serious injuries.
The new Driver Monitoring Systems use infrared cameras, artificial intelligence and software to track a driver’s eye movements and head position.
The technology works by detecting signs of tiredness, distraction or impairment, which will then issue warning sounds to alert the driver.
In some vehicles, the system can go further by slowing the car down or even bringing it to a safe stop if the driver does not react.
The new cameras hope to improve road casualties caused by dangerous driving practices
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A Department for Transport spokesman told GB News: “Driver Monitoring Systems are a welcome innovation that can help alert drowsy, distracted or impaired drivers before tragedy strikes.
“Alongside tougher penalties and our wider Road Safety Strategy, they form part of our determination to make Britain’s roads safer for everyone.”
Matthew Avery, Director of Strategic Development at the European New Car Assessment Programme, said some people are worried about privacy but argued the safety benefits are much greater.
He told The Telegraph: “Driver Monitoring Systems are still pretty new and are seen by some to be the spy in the cab, despite the fact that they are not recording any information.
“Yet, to me, they are the next seatbelts in terms of their potential safety impact, given their ability to recognise impaired driving.”
The new cameras will use AI to detect tired drivers as well as cases of drink driving
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GETTYThe Government is also considering plans to make 18 different safety technologies compulsory in new vehicles under Britain’s type approval rules.
The proposals include intelligent speed assistance, emergency braking systems for cars, cyclists and pedestrians, driver drowsiness monitoring and advanced distraction warnings.
The Department for Transport estimates the changes could prevent more than 758,000 crashes and 65,000 casualties over the next 15 years.
Roads Minister Simon Lightwood said the Government wanted to improve safety for everyone using Britain’s roads. He warned more than 1,600 people died and 28,000 were seriously injured on UK roads in 2024, prompting serious safety concerns.
Drink-driving cases have soared across the UK, prompting more support for tougher rules and lower limits | GETTY
The consultation on the new rules closes next week, on May 11 and aims to bring Britain in line with safety standards already used in the EU and Northern Ireland.
Some manufacturers are also developing sensors that can detect alcohol on a driver’s breath or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
Swedish technology company Smart Eye, which works with several major car makers, says its systems can already detect alcohol impairment and could eventually identify cannabis impairment as well.
But road safety experts warned that current enforcement measures are still not enough to tackle the scale of the problem.
Ross Moorlock, chief executive of the charity Brake, said that thousands of motorists driving under the influence escape roadside checks and never appear in official statistics.