Black boxes to be required in all new cars from 2015
April 23, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
(Credit: Frederic Guimont/Wikimedia Commons)
A new bill (Senate Bill 1813, known as MAP-21) passed by the U.S. Senate in March calls for “mandatory event data recorders” to be installed in all new passenger motor vehicles sold in the U.S. for recording data before, during, or after a crash.
As stated in Section 31406 of the bill, the government would have the power to access it in a number of circumstances, reports Infowars.com. It may also require an “interoperable data access port” to facilitate “universal accessibility and analysis” — by EMTs in case on an accident, for example (think: hacker-accessible).
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA] and promoted by Sen. Harry Reid [D-NV], would also empower the IRS to revoke passports of citizens merely accused of owing over $50,000 in back taxes. Could the black box or a similar technology be used in the future for the same purpose?
Biometric face-recognition and transdermal sensor technology that prevents an inebriated person from driving a car by disabling the automobile has already been developed in the U.K., in addition to systems that refuse to allow the vehicle to start if the driver is deemed to be overtired.
The ultimate Big Brother scenario would be a system whereby every driver had to get permission from the government to drive each time they get behind the wheel, once it had been determined from an iris scan that they were good citizens who have paid all their taxes and not misbehaved, suggests Infowars.com.
Or perhaps the massive computer systems running future “smart cities” could sense driver emotional state (say, road rage, or even intentions), and disable the vehicle, or else access the phone’s GPS and have law enforcement pull you over? Maybe the black box in the future will eventually monitor everything happening in the car, with real-time feeds to Homeland Security?
Yes, but am I paranoid enough?
On the plus side, the legislation would prohibit “electronic screens from displaying broadcast television, movies, video games, and other forms of similar visual entertainment that is visible to the driver while driving.” (Nothing said about displaying tweets, text messages, emails, etc., or about augmented reality displays on windshields.)
Update May 3, 2012: Spelling of Sen. Reid’s name corrected. — Ed.
Comments (24)
by Dave
A new barrier to entry for small business great……
by SpottedMarley
FIne by me. I’ve already bought my last new vehicle :) and it doesn’t have a spy-bot in it.
by TFC
This monitoring is nothing compared to what will be possible when ALL cars will need GPS and transponders to integrate most of them into the future smart traffic control systems. All those cars talking to each other and to the smart traffic grid so your info will broadcast everywhere to everyone. Enjoy.
by Joel
Interestingly, the Supreme Court in 1958 in kent vs dulles, ruled that denying a passport violates a citizens Constitutional rights. Freedom of movement, the freedom to go where you wish in the manner you wish, and to travel abroad is a fundamental right, and cannot be revoked. For the servants of the people to require those they serve to obtain permission to exercise their rights is to essentially surrender those rights. This is exactly the possibility presented by this black box.
by Keith Johnson
The Senator from Nevada is Harry REID. If we’re going to give him his richly deserved opprobrium, let’s at least spell his name correctly.
by Editor
Thanks, Keith. Corrected.
by Cybernettr
Biometric face-recognition and transdermal sensor technology that prevents an inebriated person from driving a car by disabling the automobile has already been developed in the U.K., in addition to systems that refuse to allow the vehicle to start if the driver is deemed to be overtired.
This all becomes a moot point since driverless cars are likely to come along before this becomes widespread. Maybe those with prior drunk driving convictions but that’s it.
by Patrick
“mandatory event data recorders” Fine by me if it’s open-source and off-line, and I can switch it with one from a different company, etc. that has the same requirements.
Now, if the government just wants me to put in a true black box (which it would probably try) that may have RFID, report to the internet, etc. oh, HELL no. It’s a very fine line that the government has shown they have no problem crossing time and time again. I believe that would be a violation of 4th Am. rights and we should all just collectively take them out.
by phoenix
infowars as a source?
..weak..
by shaun
phoenix, maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss. Infowars breaks many true and important stories before other mainstream sources.. or wait, you think taxes and big government are good hahahha
check out austrian economics and libertarian theories and get back to me..
by robert
Shaun just ignore him. Not everyone can live in our perfect ayn rand society. Just the ones that were blessed with a tin foil hat. ;)
by Smetlavich
Asteroid 2011 AG5 can’t arrive quickly enough.
by Khannea Suntzu
If you don’t break the law, you car users have nothing to hide? Where have I heard that nonsense all over again and again?
Besides I don’t own a car and wouldn’t want to anyways.
by Daniel
Just another intrusion by your friendly government forcing you to buy something that you probably don’t want. But, hey, who could object to Big Brother? We all know he has the best of intentions. Just look at Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reed and Barack Obama. Don’t you want them deciding what you should buy and how you should live. After all, aren’t they wiser, smarter, more moral and just all around better than Joe Sixpack? Who could object?
by Gabor
…and the fun begins…resistance is futile… :o)
by cosmowrench
I dont see whats the problem…Think cellphone…do you have control over what data it sends to whom? No!! All your texts conversations, appointments, contacts, pictures, location data etc. It could be sending all that data to God knows who, without you ever being aware of it.
Same goes for your computer. The moment you turn it on, it connects to the internet, but what exactly is it sending and recieving? Maybe its participating in some DoS attack or just checking for updates…who knows. We are long past the point that we are in control of the data we spread. After reading the comments on that site, actually its kinda funny, now that they wanna touch the “holy car” people suddenly act like they give a s^*%.
by tim333
Yeah. but that’s different from having a legal requirement that the government can access your data
by melajara
“mandatory event data recorders” to be installed in all new passenger motor vehicles sold in the U.S.
Well, your article will give me even more reasons to favor over NEW vehicles/spies a collector’s item like a glamorous Jaguar MK2 :)
by Editor
Yes, preferably non-electronic cars, which we’ll need after the coming EMP attack.
by Ernesto
Modern conventional cars would still be rendered dead after an emp attack. All ignition timing is done through the CPU in the car, along with cam angles, fuel/air ratios, and maybe more depending on the car.
by Editor
Right, I had in mind older cars with no chips.
by cosmowrench
Isnt a car a good faraday cage? :p
by Editor
Actually, no. The windows are not shielded, there are leaks, and it’s not grounded, which is why cell phones still work (although not as well) in a car.
by Jamie
Awesome! Now I have an excuse to buy the 68′ Impala I have always wanted. The big question is, what do I drive in the winter since I live about 70 miles north of Toronto? An early VW bug? With a gasoline heater? :(
At least they are good in the snow….