In-cabin monitoring research: unconscious alcohol detection expands DMS functions, UWB and other direct sensing technologies enter mass production
ResearchInChina released ""Automotive DMS/OMS (Driver/Occupant Monitoring System) Research Report,2024-2025"", which focuses on in-cabin monitoring systems such as DMS (Driver Monitoring System) and OMS (Occupant Monitoring System), providing an in-depth analysis of in-cabin monitoring supply chain, detailed review of mainstream in-cabin monitoring technologies, breakdown of key vehicle application solutions, comparison of in-cabin monitoring layouts between Chinese and international suppliers, and the assessment of future development trends in in-cabin monitoring.
1. In-cabin monitoring system installation rate reaches 16.3%, with 3.288 million units installed
From January to November 2024, the total sales volume in China’s passenger car market was 20.125 million units. Among these, 3.288 million units were equipped with DMS/OMS as standard, a year-on-year increase of 39.4%; the installation rate reached 16.3%, an increase of 3.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
From January to November 2024, the installation volume of DMSs as standard in China’s passenger car market reached 3.18 million units, with an installation rate of 15.8%, a year-on-year increase of 82.7%.
From January to November 2024, the installation volume of OMS systems as standard in China’s passenger car market showed a decline, totaling 755,000 units, a year-on-year decrease of 18.1%; the installation rate was only 3.7%.
In terms of brand distribution, from January to November 2024, the top brands in terms of in-cabin monitoring system installation volume included Li Auto, Harmony lntelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), NIO, Zeekr, and BYD, with top 10 brands accounting for 62.7% of the total installation volume.
2. Driver monitoring reaches an industry inflection point: DMS pre-installation standardization & in-vehicle alcohol detection revolutionizes driving safety
1. Policies and regulations drive pre-installation of DMSs as standard, market size to reach 7 billion yuan by 2027
As a core function of in-cabin monitoring, DMS can monitor driver fatigue, distraction, and dangerous driving behaviors in real-time, providing timely warnings and effectively reducing traffic accident rates.
The EU GSR II regulation clearly states that from July 2024, new passenger car models must be equipped with the Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) system, while all new cars must be equipped with the Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW) system. By July 2026, all new passenger cars must be equipped with the ADDW system. In China, the latest version of C-NCAP management rules, effective from July 2024, includes DMS in the active safety evaluation framework for the first time, assigning it a score of 2 points.
With the strengthening of domestic and international policy regulations and continuous advancement of intelligent development in passenger cars, the DMS market is expected to show sustained and stable growth, potentially becoming a standard feature in new vehicles. Optimistically, by 2027, the installation volume of DMS in China’s passenger car market will reach 9.473 million units, and the market size of camera-based DMSs is expected to reach 7.11 billion yuan.
2. In-vehicle alcohol detection system: a paradigm shift from ""post-event accountability"" to ""pre-event prevention""
The new Euro-NCAP regulations, effective from January 2026, further expand the scope of impaired driving ability detection. Alcohol and drug using are listed as key influencing factors, meaning in-cabin monitoring systems need to analyze driver behavior indicators to identify signs of alcohol or drug using and effectively assess the degree of impaired driving ability. Meanwhile, various countries have introduced strong measures to prevent drunk driving. In the summer of 2024, Germany mandated that new cars be pre-equipped with an alcohol lock interface for future retrofitting. The USA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires that from 2026, vehicles used in the USA must be equipped with monitoring devices that can detect and prevent drunk driving, determining in real-time whether the driver is under the influence of alcohol.
Currently, several OEMs and solution providers have launched in-vehicle alcohol detection solutions.
3. Child Presence Detection (CPD) technology leap: UWB/ radar and other direct sensing technologies become mainstream solutions
In-car Child Presence Detection (CPD) consists of a detection system and a reminder system. The detection system can be divided into indirect sensing systems (based on logic, using information such as door opening, seat pressure, or capacitive sensing to infer the possibility of human or object presence in the vehicle. Indirect sensing does not distinguish between living beings and objects) and direct sensing systems (which detect the presence of a person in the vehicle by sensing heartbeat, breathing, movement, or other life signs. Technical solutions include cameras, radar, UWB radar, Wi-Fi, etc.).
With the upgrade of C-NCAP and E-NCAP safety assessment protocols, CPD functions without direct sensing systems will find it difficult to achieve high scores or will not score at all in new car assessments. The application of indirect sensing technology in CPD detection will gradually become marginalized.
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