Starting in July this year, all vehicles registered within the European Union—not just newly manufactured models—must be equipped with driver monitoring cameras. These systems, known as Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) cameras, are intended to observe driver behaviour and detect signs of distraction, issuing alerts when necessary.
The requirement was first introduced in 2024 as part of the EU’s “Vision Zero” initiative, which aims to eliminate road fatalities by 2050.
Kit Knightly is a British journalist and the co-editor of OffGuardian, an independent news site that critiques mainstream media and global political narratives. He describes himself as an “accidental journalist” and a “deliberate contrarian”.
You can read Kit’s article in full by following this link:
https://off-guardian.org/2026/04/30/the-eu-is-pushing-driver-monitoring-cameras-heres-why
Driver Monitoring Cameras (DMS) are in-vehicle safety systems that use driver-facing cameras, often with infrared technology, to track eye movements, head position, and facial expressions.
By using AI, they detect driver distraction, drowsiness, and phone usage, providing immediate alerts to prevent accidents caused by inattention.
Key Features and Functions include Safety Focus, which monitors for signs of fatigue (yawning, eyelids closing) and distraction (looking away from the road for too long). These systems typically use infrared LEDs to work in all lighting conditions, including at night, without distracting the driver. AI analyses the driver’s behaviour in real-time, distinguishing between normal driving and dangerous activity. If a risk is detected, the system issues audio or visual alerts. Some systems, particularly in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), may automatically act, such as slowing the vehicle.
The device is usually mounted on the steering column, dashboard, or near the rear-view mirror and are intended to reduce road collisions, however, as Kit Knightly says: “Any accident will be blamed on ‘sub-optimal driver performance’, and that time you checked your phone while stopped at a light, or your hands moved briefly from the 10-and-2 or your eye-line wasn’t correctly picked up by the mirror sensor, will be used to blame your ‘fender-bender’ on you.
“This will create a change in accident reporting statistics, spiking “driver error” as the cause for anything and everything that goes wrong on the road.
“This, in turn, will kick off a big “people drive dangerously” propaganda push.”
Paul Naylor, a Director with the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD), agrees with Kit’s further notion that…
“An opinion piece from an anonymous ‘former driver’ will appear in the Guardian, “I lost my driver’s license, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to me”.
Not forgetting all sorts of cozy anecdotes about the charming characters you meet and life-affirming tableaux you witness using public transport.It will talk up how much money they’re saving on petrol and road tax, and how much fitter they get walking and cycling everywhere and how they know their neighbours so well now.”
Paul adds to Kit’s imagery:
“It is clear to us at the ABD that this technology is being used as another way to remove perfectly good motorists from our roads.
If they can’t stop you driving by insisting on an ill-advised EV mandate; or by not carrying out routine maintenance on our pot-holed highways and byways; or lack of support at the pumps in times of global crises – then I guess they’ll start the sort of crazed woke campaign outlined in Kit’s thoughts.
Potholes or not, we’re in for a bumpy ride!”
