Japan to Require In-Car Systems That Detect Distracted, Drowsy Drivers

Tokyo, Aug. 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport ministry plans to require both Japan-made and imported vehicles to be equipped with a system to detect when drivers are distracted or fall asleep behind the wheel, ministry officials said Monday. The ministry plans to revise an ordinance in September to apply the new requirement to new models starting 2031 and existing models in 2033. Such driver-monitoring systems track drivers’ line of sight, eyelid movement and steering wheel activity using in-car cameras and other sensors. They alert drivers when detecting abnormalities through alarms and steering wheel vibrations. Under the ministry’s requirement, the systems will detect distracted driving when a driver fails to look ahead for six seconds while going at speeds between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour, and for 3.5 seconds while going at speeds above 50 kph. The systems will identify sleeping while driving when vehicles travel at speeds ranging from 70 to 130 kph. A new international DMS standard was adopted in March at a session of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, in which Japan participated. The new standard is set to take effect in September. In 2020, the ministry established guidelines on DMSs that detect inattentive and drowsy drivers, urging automakers to develop and equip them. Some models from Toyota Motor Corp., Subaru Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. already feature the technology. There were 148 distracted driving-caused accidents that resulted in either death or serious injury in Japan in 2025, according to the National Police Agency. The number of such cases stood at 129 in 2023 and 138 in 2024. In March this year, six people, including three children, died when a large truck crashed into halted traffic on an expressway in Mie Prefecture, central Japan. The driver, accused of negligent driving resulting in death, had been watching a smartphone video while driving, being distracted for about 13 seconds. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]