Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera • Hacker News Board

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#631

Post by interf4ce » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:17 AM UTC

Humphrey wrote: post #568

I hired a Chinese Haval Car for a weekend last year (Australia). It started beeping at me for being distracted because I was checking for traffic in the other lanes - which is crucial when driving in a 4 lane highway. Of cause, I had never experienced such a beep before, so I had to take my eyes off the road tp look at the screen to see what the reason for the beeping was. Then, on a multlane highway, I would indicat…

> The whole point of indication is to signal my intention to move, so that the car in my blind spot creates room for me to merge into their lane.

That is definitely not the point of a turning signal. The car that's already in the lane has right of way and it's your responsibility not to plow into them. If they opt to make room for you, great (that's just courteous driving), but it's not an obligation.

If you can't see the car in your blindspot when changing lanes, you're not doing a proper shoulder check, hence the blindspot warning.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#632

Post by silexia » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:19 AM UTC

Orwellian. What an absolute nightmare of government control. Advancing technology is giving too much power to the government, do not let them have it or you will never get your rights back.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#633

Post by ShinyLeftPad » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:25 AM UTC

awakeasleep wrote: post #561

hparadiz wrote: post #545

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hard time believing that the public at large is gonna be okay with having to blow into a hose anytime they turn on their cars.

The law only specifies the outcome (alcohol detection) not the implementation (hose blowing)

Maybe transdermal alcohol monitor could be put on the wheel

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#634

Post by ShinyLeftPad » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:27 AM UTC

ryantgtg wrote: post #628

mattrighetti wrote: post #520

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did a quick research and saw that in 2024 there were around 12k deaths in which one or more drunk drivers were involved. Doesn’t seem like much for a country with around 350 million people. In comparison, drug causes 7x those deaths. Cancer and heart diseases even more.

Every car safety post on HN has "guy who thinks 12k deaths is maybe not too bad." Thanks, guy! You really put things in perspective there.

Guy probably doesn't personally know any of those 12k...

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#635

Post by ShinyLeftPad » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:28 AM UTC

mattrighetti wrote: post #520

Gigachad wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It only sounds like overreach because we have become numb to an incredible amount of killing from distracted drivers.

Did a quick research and saw that in 2024 there were around 12k deaths in which one or more drunk drivers were involved. Doesn’t seem like much for a country with around 350 million people. In comparison, drug causes 7x those deaths. Cancer and heart diseases even more.

Cancer & heart disease you're counting basically all natural causes.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#636

Post by CalRobert » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:29 AM UTC

joenot443 wrote: post #374

awakeasleep wrote: post #9

Ford has had that since Blue Cruise 2.0, or thereabouts. It really shocked me how often it catches my attention being diverted. Things like talking to my passengers, adjusting the climate controls, or eating- I'm not even talking about 'advanced distractions' like my phone. It also seemed really accurate. I never remember it beeping at me when I was actually paying attention. It's totally plausible to me that this ki…

> It's totally plausible to me that this kind of nudge will save a lot of lives. I think an in-car breathalyzer which gates the ignition would also save a lot of lives. Most people agree that kind of manufactured paternalism is an overreach and would be against its introduction. Other people say the same about the diverted driving detector, and I imagine others said the same about the seatbelt sensor. The intersectio…

Personal freedom to drive a two tonne battering ram at deadly speeds where others are walking, biking, etc should be heavily regulated.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#637

Post by gogusrl » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:30 AM UTC

Dries007 wrote: post #33

awakeasleep wrote: post #9

Ford has had that since Blue Cruise 2.0, or thereabouts. It really shocked me how often it catches my attention being diverted. Things like talking to my passengers, adjusting the climate controls, or eating- I'm not even talking about 'advanced distractions' like my phone. It also seemed really accurate. I never remember it beeping at me when I was actually paying attention. It's totally plausible to me that this ki…

My experience with my Volvo EX30 has been the complete opposite. Although the false positives have gone down with software updates, it's still wrong so often I turn it off every time it bothers me. Due to some other regulation, this setting is unfortunately not remembered. That means every time I get in the car, I have to spend time going trough the settings to disable it, often while already driving. Seems like a gr…

I also have an EX30 and while I have many many MANY complaints about this car, driver monitoring isn't one of them.

Also disabling this feature is only 2 taps (because EU says it can't be only one tap), Settings -> toggle Driver Monitoring.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#638

Post by CalRobert » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:32 AM UTC

For all the people complaining about driver distraction alerts… have you considered that perhaps you were in fact distracted? Looking at a passenger to talk instead of at the road, etc?

It’s the kind of thing where, unless you’re way below the median, other people will hesitate to call you out on it.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#639

Post by hansvm » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:33 AM UTC

A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #6

All new cars. At this point I don't know if I'd buy anything made after 2008. Whenever I rent a new car around here (in the EU) I find them very annoying. The worst is the cruise control that tries to stick to the speed limit -- but its sensors don't always read the signs very well, so you'll often slow to 50 km/h (about 30 mph) for no reason. Then there's the incessant beeping at you, "lane assist" that you can't tu…

Not just beeping. I had a rental Nissan recently violently pull me straight off the road when it couldn't read the lines very well in a thick fog. Apparently you can disable that deep in some settings menu through some magic button presses divorced from the main settings menus, but it was frightening. For most manufacturers, almost none of this tech is good enough to even make optional and non-default, much less legislatively mandated, and that supposes I trust you not to sell my daily mood or whatever bullshit to data brokers.

Re: Every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera

#640

Post by kazinator » Wed, Jul 08, 2026, 4:38 AM UTC

It's completely idiotic. Technology should be assisting in performing the attention itself, not nannying the driver.

Sometimes there really isn't anything that needs your complete undivided attention. You're on a deserted, straight highway flanked by open, barren fields.