If artificial intelligence could accurately prevent crashes, how much monitoring would drivers be willing to accept?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting a study on Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS), as published in the Federal Register and discussed by the National Law Review. The study evaluates a new generation of Driver Monitoring Systems that combine information about where a driver is looking, indicators of driver alertness and physical state (biometrics), vehicle movement, and surrounding traffic conditions. Researchers want to determine whether the system can identify safety risks more accurately than traditional monitoring systems and whether drivers accept the technology.

Driver monitoring technologies are already gaining traction in commercial trucking. As consumer acceptance grows, the trucking industry could face increasing pressure from insurers and other customers, and regulators to adopt similar technologies. Technologies such as backup cameras, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning systems followed a similar path.

Not everyone supports driver monitoring technology. While many view these systems as valuable safety tools, others worry about the privacy implications of driver-facing cameras and other forms of AI-enabled monitoring.

As these technologies spread throughout the workplace, they raise questions about what employers should be allowed to monitor and how they should use the information they collect. The increasing use of biometric data, including facial recognition and other identifiers, has added new privacy concerns. Although no comprehensive federal framework exists, Illinois addressed this issue before the AI boom through the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which restricts how organizations collect, store, and use biometric information. As AI capabilities continue to expand, similar questions are emerging across the country.

At the same time, research continues to show that AI can improve roadway safety. This creates important questions:

• Do people object to the technology itself, or do they object to the way organizations use it?
• If a system could detect fatigue, distraction, or other safety risks and provide accurate real-time warnings, would more people support its use?

The ongoing NHTSA study may answer these questions.

For many experienced drivers, the issue comes down to where the line should be drawn. Modern monitoring systems can do much more than identify safety concerns. Employers can use AI-powered and biometrics tools to track GPS locations, analyze behavior patterns, monitor communications, and collect large amounts of data. As these capabilities expand throughout the workplace, many workers worry about how much monitoring is too much (Employee Privacy in the Age of AI Monitoring).

The transportation industry now faces the challenge of balancing safety, efficiency, and privacy:

• Companies want tools that help reduce crashes, improve productivity, enforce policies, and manage security risks.
• Drivers want assurance that employers will not use technology to monitor every aspect of their workday.
• The government wants to consider whether biometric and similar technologies ought to be standardized.

The absence of a comprehensive federal framework and specific research governing AI leaves many of these issues unresolved.

The NHTSA study allows drivers to help shape the foregoing concerns. The comment period is open until August 10, 2026. By using simulators to evaluate the real-world effects of driver monitoring technology, the agency can gather information that may influence future policies and regulations. Drivers who volunteer and are selected for participation can provide firsthand perspectives on how monitoring technologies affect the driving experience. Eligible participants must be at least 18 years old, possess a valid driver’s license, and drive at least 3,000 miles per year.

As driver monitoring technology becomes more common, the challenge may not be deciding whether safety matters, but determining how safety can be improved while preserving privacy and protecting trust.