cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1247209/all-cars-sold-in-the-eu-now-require-a-camera-aimed-at-your-face-its-still-not-clear-wher
Starting July 7, 2026, every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera aimed at your face. Glance at your phone, your kids in the back seat, or the radio for too long, and the car will flash a warning light and sound an alert.
Automakers have known this was coming for years. What they, and EU regulators, have never spelled out is what happens to that footage after the alert goes off.
While the intention behind the new system is difficult to dispute, its implementation has raised several concerns. Early real-world testing suggests the distraction warnings can be overly sensitive and potentially distracting.
Invest in some fluid film or other lanolin based undercoating, that way you can stop the road salt damage from getting any worse.
I did already get myself some Surface Shield which is exactly that kind of lanolin based protectant, after also reading about some of the more hardcore stuff like POR-15 that I’d worry could trap water or hide damage.
I’ve used it a bit on my car near where I have some wheels removed to work on the brakes, and tried it on some garden tools.
Impressions are very good and I totally plan to cover the underside of my car with this stuff when finishing up work on it. Just not the exhaust I imagine.
Surface shield is just as good or better. You know your stuff, good for you! I do at least one application before winter, and on my car with a little rust I do once more in the late spring as well. The stuff doesn’t seem to harm rubber, so I go crazy and spray it all over with my little 5 gal air compressor and a woolwax gun. Beware, it makes future underside work much dirtier, but I much prefer that to battling rusty bolts.