Car Safety Technology: A Double-Edged Sword

Car safety tech was meant to help keep our eyes on the road, but it’s starting to draw attention for other reasons.

Many new vehicles are now equipped with cameras aimed directly at drivers. These cameras track where you’re looking, whether your eyes are open, and whether a computer thinks you’re fully engaged. If you focus on the touchscreen for too long, you might get a warning. Similarly, the steering wheel could vibrate if you look away from the windshield.

There’s a significant difference between a sensor that notices when you’re drifting from your lane and a camera monitoring your face continuously.

This tech isn’t just a fancy extra anymore; regulators in Europe are now mandating that new cars come with systems to detect driver distraction.

A Focus on Safety

Subaru offers an interesting case of how quickly driver monitoring has made its way into consumer cars.

The DriverFocus system uses near-infrared cameras aimed at the driver’s eyes and head. Subaru claims it can spot signs of inattention or drowsiness and alert the driver accordingly. Since it’s infrared-based, it works even in low light.

The intent is clear—distracted driving can be lethal, just as much as drowsy driving can be.

Surveys from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that about 87% of Subaru owners typically use DriverFocus, while around 70% expressed a desire to have this system in their next vehicle.

That said, the same study highlighted some drawbacks. Drivers reported false alarms, and many found the warnings excessive. Unsurprisingly, annoyance was a major reason some owners opted to disable their systems.

Both Karl and I have noticed similar experiences in newer cars. Today’s vehicles come equipped with features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane centering to help when drivers err. Yet, many of these same cars are increasingly aggressive in monitoring exactly where the driver is looking.

A New Kind of Surveillance

This goes beyond automakers merely responding to customer preferences.

Europe is making driver monitoring a regulatory requirement.

Under the European Union’s General Safety Regulations, from July 2024, all new vehicles must have technology to alert drivers about drowsiness. By July 2026, more advanced systems will also be required to detect distractions.

While the EU hasn’t specified that infrared cameras are essential, the effectiveness of such systems makes them a likely choice. This uniformity means automakers might feel pressured to include these systems in cars globally rather than creating different models for each market. This could be a concern for American drivers.

Concerns About Privacy

This is where I start to feel uneasy.

There’s a crucial difference between a sensor that alerts you for lane drifting and a camera that’s constantly observing your face.

Michael noted how powerful these systems already are:

“The cameras monitor everything inside the vehicle in real time and trigger verbal, auditory, or tactile alerts,” he mentioned. “While you can turn some off, they reset as soon as you restart the vehicle—it’s just a memory chip; it can’t record telemetry.”

Currently, these cameras analyze behavior inside the car and issue warnings. However, it’s not a stretch to consider the possibility that such systems could eventually record or transmit their findings.

Modern vehicles are typically equipped with computers that connect to the manufacturer’s servers via mobile networks. Many automakers are already gathering driving data and sharing it with third… parties. Plus, insurance companies are increasingly basing their policies on telematics.

This means cars might not only track speed, position, and braking, but, with the addition of an in-car camera, they could also observe what you’re doing as you drive. Were you staring at your phone? Looking sleepy? Who’s in the car with you?

Automakers argue these systems come with privacy protections, and many do. Still, privacy policies can change, and situations may arise where the data is requested by software, regulations, law enforcement, or other entities.

Nonetheless, the hardware will always be aimed at you.

Emerging Technologies

Intrusive technologies often develop gradually, not through an obvious announcement that all users will be monitored.

This monitoring is designed to detect drowsiness, ensure you’re attentive, and prevent collisions.

There are valid arguments here. I certainly don’t want a sleepy driver veering across the road. However, it’s essential for consumers to consider where the limits lie.

My seat belt keeps me safe without needing to watch where I’m looking. Airbags don’t monitor my face. Anti-lock brakes don’t worry about who’s next to me.

Driver monitoring cameras are different because they introduce something new: a machine that observes passengers in real time, and governments are starting to demand systems that can do just that.

A Paradox

There’s an additional irony in all this.

As manufacturers and regulators call for stricter oversight of driver behavior, vehicles are also gaining more capabilities to assist drivers.

Modern cars can steer, brake, keep a safe distance, and even change lanes. But if you look away for just a bit too long, that same vehicle might start urging you to refocus.

I hope these systems save lives. That would be great.

But before we see driver monitoring cameras become standard in the U.S., it’s crucial for us to clarify what data these systems collect, whether any information leaves the vehicle, how long it can be stored, and who can access it.

Once these cameras are mainstream, it may not matter whether your car knows you’re distracted. The real question will be who gets access to that data.