The fatigue detection system will be mandatory in new cars in 2022

Over half of Spanish drivers will have to change their car before 2023

Over half of Spanish drivers will have to change their car before 2023. Credit: Pixabay

Starting from next year, the fatigue detection system and other driver assistance systems will be mandatory in all new cars.

Starting from next year, the fatigue detection system will be mandatory in all new cars. It will also be mandatory for all new cars that leave the factory to incorporate a series of other driver assistance systems that improve road safety and driver comfort.

Commissioner Elżbieta Bienkowska, responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs in the EU said: “Every year, 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads. The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error.”

“We can and must act to change this. With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when the safety belts were first introduced.”

“Many of the new features already exist, in particular in high–end vehicles. Now we raise the safety level across the board, and pave the way for connected and automated mobility of the future.”

This does not mean that all vehicles on the road must have these ADASs, but there are certain solutions that allow devices that also perform these functions to be attached to old cars.

The driver’s fatigue and sleep detector not only consists of warning when the driver has been at the wheel for more than a few stipulated hours but through detectors of movement of the eyes, blinking and pressure of the hands-on the steering wheel, the car detects when the driver is suffering from the effects of fatigue and warns them by using sound signals so that they do not fall asleep and can stop and rest.

Although it is true that this ADAS will substantially improve road safety, since estimates suggest that 20 per cent of traffic accidents are caused by fatigue, not all cars will incorporate it. For those who have an older model but want the security of this device, there are several devices available on the market that can be fitted to older cars.

Available on Amazon and on specialised pages such as Kaza, a series of devices that incorporate a driver’s movement detector to identify when fatigue is taking a toll on the ability to drive. They are around €200 and consist of a sensor that, placed in the car, detects if the driver is sleepy and emits a series of warning alerts so that they can make a safety stop.

The new mandatory safety features include:

For cars, vans, trucks and buses: warning of driver drowsiness and distraction (e.g. smartphone use while driving), intelligent speed assistance, reversing safety with camera or sensors, and data recorder in case of an accident (‘black box’).

For cars and vans: lane-keeping assistance, advanced emergency braking, and crash-test improved safety belts.

For trucks and buses: specific requirements to improve the direct vision of bus and truck drivers and to remove blind spots, and systems at the front and side of the vehicle to detect and warn of vulnerable road users, especially when making turns.


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Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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