[Getty Images Bank]
[Getty Images Bank]

Japan will require all new cars to be equipped with driver monitoring systems starting in 2031, as the government moves to reduce traffic accidents caused by smartphone use and drowsy driving.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to mandate the installation of driver monitoring systems, or DMS — devices that use cameras and sensors to track a driver's condition and sound an alert when attention lapses, the Nikkei reported Monday.

The requirement will apply to all new domestic and imported vehicles sold in Japan.

The government plans to amend relevant regulations in September before making DMS mandatory for new car models from September 2031, with the requirement extended to newly produced units of existing models two years later.

Under the proposed regulation, vehicles must detect and warn drivers when their gaze leaves the road for several seconds — such as when looking down at a smartphone.

At speeds above 50 kilometers per hour, an alert will sound if a driver's eyes are directed downward — toward a phone or similar device — for more than 3.5 seconds. Between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour, the threshold extends to six seconds.

The standards mirror those adopted in March by the United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, known as WP29. The EU has already made DMS mandatory, and Japan is moving quickly to follow suit to prevent accidents caused by driver inattention.

Toyota, Suzuki and Subaru are among the automakers that currently offer DMS on select models in Japan.

Fatal and serious injury accidents caused by distracted driving hit a record high of 148 cases last year, according to Japan's National Police Agency.

Market research firm Fuji Chimera Research Institute projects the global DMS market will reach 1.26 trillion yen ($7.91 billion) by 2035, more than 55 times its 2021 size.


betterj@heraldcorp.com