July 10, 2026 - New EU Safety Regulations Take Effect

This is the Telemetry Transportation Daily for July 10, 2026, and I'm Sam Abuelsamid, Vice President of Market Research for Telemetry. 

As of this week, a number of new automotive safety regulations have gone into effect in the European Union. These include mandatory driver monitor systems, automatic emergency braking (AEB) to detect vulnerable road users, improved forward vision requirements, expanded use of safety glass, and requirements for wet-weather performance of worn tires. 

The advanced driver-distraction warning, or ADDW, requirement is among the most controversial. General Motors was among the first automakers to deploy such a system when it launched its hands-free Super Cruise driver assist system in 2017. They typically rely on an infrared camera that monitors the driver's eye gaze and head pose to ensure they are watching the road. Infrared cameras are used so that the driver can be monitored in low light as well as when wearing sunglasses. The main complaint is related to privacy and the potential for this information to be transmitted from the vehicle.  The EU regulation states that this system must be a closed loop in the vehicle and not transmit anything outside, but critics worry that automakers or potentially nefarious actors may find workarounds. 

The safety glass expansion is intended to help reduce injuries to pedestrians who are struck by a vehicle, while the AEB enhancements are focused on making sure that systems can detect pedestrians and cyclists to avoid or mitigate a crash. 

European countries already have a number of regulations relating to tires, including mandatory use of winter tires in more northern regions like Scandinavia. The new regulation requires that a tire that has reached its minimum legal tread depth of 1.6 mm must still provide at least 80% of the wet weather braking performance of a brand new tire. This will help ensure safer handling capabilities as tires wear, but it is also expected to reduce the need for premature tire replacements as performance degrades. The tire requirements largely fall on tire manufacturers, and as a result, all vehicles, including those that predate the regulation, will ultimately benefit as tires are replaced. 

These are all good upgrades to safety regulations, and similar requirements should be implemented everywhere. 

Thanks for listening.