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With Euro NCAP’s 2026 updates, Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) take on a much bigger role than before – now as a non-negotiable factor in securing a five-star safety rating.
For vehicle manufacturers, this requires more than installing a basic DMS and calling it a day.
The new assessment protocols place great emphasis on how well a system detects distraction, drowsiness, and, for the first time, impairment from alcohol or drugs. A new 25-point scoring system means weak or outdated solutions risk dragging down a vehicle’s rating.
Let’s break down what’s changing, why it matters, and what both automakers and technology suppliers need to focus on to meet the new standards.
Euro NCAP’s 2026 updates introduce Driver Engagement as a new category, with driver monitoring at its core. This means the stakes are much higher than before: DMS can now contribute up to 25 points – a significant increase from previous assessments.
How Those 25 Points Are Earned:
The new scoring system evaluates DMS across three critical areas:
1. Distraction & phone use – Systems need to track both brief glances away from the road and prolonged distractions lasting several seconds. They must also detect handheld phone use, whether the device is in the driver’s lap or raised into their field of view.
2. Drowsiness detection – Fatigue should be recognized at speeds of 50 km/h or higher, using a metric equivalent to a KSS level of 7 or more, to ensure reliable detection during highway driving.
3. Impairment detection (new category) – For the first time, systems are also required to assess alcohol- and drug-related impairment, distinguishing it from drowsiness. Detection must begin within the first 10 minutes of a trip at speeds of 50 km/h or higher.
With this stricter evaluation criteria, a basic system isn’t enough for a five-star rating. Manufacturers needhighly-accurate technology that performs reliably across different environments and driver behaviors.
One of the most notable new additions to Euro NCAP’s 2026 protocol is impairment detection.
Until now, driver monitoring systems have primarily focused on detecting distraction and drowsiness. Now, they must also assess whether a driver is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or other causes.
To meet the new requirements, DMS must begin assessing impairment within the first 10 minutes of a trip at speeds of 50 km/h or higher. And rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, systems should, for example, compare a driver’s real-time behavior to their own past driving patterns to flag potential impairment.
With this update, Euro NCAP is pushing DMS suppliers to develop more precise methods for intoxication detection. This requires systems to recognize subtle changes in driver behavior and analyzing patterns that are often harder to distinguish than other types of distractions. Vehicle manufacturers, in turn, will need to ensure their cars can accurately identify a wider range of risk factors while minimizing false alarms that could frustrate drivers.
Steering sensors have long been used to infer driver attention, but Euro NCAP’s 2026 updates make it clear that indirect monitoring alone is no longer enough. To meet the new criteria, direct driver monitoring – tracking eye and head movements – is required.
A system must be able to detect both transient states, like brief distractions or phone use, and non-transient states, such as drowsiness or impairment.
Without reliable eye tracking, the system is considered to be in degraded mode, and may lose points in the vehicle’s safety evaluation.
For vehicle manufacturers, securing a top Euro NCAP rating depends on which driver monitoring system they choose, but also how well the system is integrated and configured into the car. Simply having a quality DMS isn’t necessarily enough. It needs to function correctly under all conditions and remain active throughout the drive.
The system must be default ON at the start of every trip and cannot be disabled with a single button press.
Detection sensitivity cannot be adjusted by the driver, ensuring consistent performance.
DMS must remain active even when assisted driving features like adaptive cruise control or lane centering are in use.
Automakers must submit a dossier of proof showing that their system meets Euro NCAP’s detection and response criteria.
Warnings for both transient and non-transient events must escalate appropriately, using visual, haptic, or audible alerts depending on the severity of the situation.
For automakers to meet Euro NCAP’s 2026 standards, suppliers need to deliver high-performance driver monitoring solutions that can operate reliably in real-world conditions.
Direct monitoring sensors must function accurately across different lighting conditions and handle occlusions caused by sunglasses, masks, or facial hair.
Algorithms must differentiate between different types of distraction, drowsiness, impairment, and unresponsiveness, ensuring reliable detection with minimal false alerts.
Intervention mechanisms need to be adaptable to different risk levels, including:
➤ Increasing forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB) sensitivity for impaired drivers.
➤ Adjusting lane-keeping assistance (LKA) and lane departure warning (LDW) for distracted drivers.
➤ An emergency stop function (EF) that can bring the vehicle to a controlled stop if the driver is unresponsive.
With Euro NCAP’s 2026 updates in place, strong driver monitoring has a direct impact on both safety ratings and consumer trust. But this is unlikely to be the last major update. As expectations for driver monitoring systems get even stricter, automakers that invest in robust, forward-looking DMS solutions today will be in a stronger position to meet future demands – whatever shape they take.
To learn more about Euro NCAP’s 2026 updates, find the full assessment protocols on Euro NCAP’s website.
