Japan Mandates Cabin-Facing Cameras on All Cars From 2031 as Smartphone Bans Fail

Japan is moving ahead with mandatory driver-monitoring cabin cameras after smartphone distraction-related crashes worsened despite tighter penalties. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said it will amend road-vehicle safety standards as early as September 2026 to require driver monitoring systems on every new vehicle sold in Japan from September 2031. Existing models approved but still in production will have until September 2033. The rule will apply to both domestic and imported cars. Japan’s push comes seven weeks after the EU made ADAS camera-based driver monitoring mandatory across new cars, trucks and buses. Japan raised fines in 2019; serious smartphone-related injury and fatal crashes hit a 2025 record of 148 cases, including 26 deaths.