AP: Congress mandates new car technology to stop drunken driving

[China]

Congress mandates new car technology to stop drunken driving

 

Congress has created a new requirement for automakers: Find a high-tech way to keep drunken people from driving cars.

 

It’s one of the mandates along with a burst of new spending aimed at improving auto safety amid escalating road fatalities in the $1 trillion infrastructure package that President Joe Biden is expected to sign soon.

 

Under the legislation, monitoring systems to stop intoxicated drivers would roll out in all new vehicles as early as 2026, after the Transportation Department assesses the best form of technology to install in millions of vehicles and automakers are given time to comply.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

Now they just need to find a way to keep people's noses out of their phones while they're driving.

[mistertim]

I think this is a great idea. Theoretically there are plenty of ways to do it. The problem turns up when you have more than one person in the car. IIRC ignition interlock devices that people get for DUIs have ways to make sure that it's the person driving when they blow into it and if it isn't them then they can get in big trouble. But that's not very realistic for people who aren't in that position. It would probably take something more advanced and probably AI/ML based. Same with cell phones and driving.

 

One thing I'm curious about is if the current anti-vaccine-mandate numbnuts will start screaming "BUT MUH FREEDOMS!!" about this one. I have doubts since there's a pretty societally ingrained stigma against driving drunk across political spectrums. 

[The Evil Genius]

9 minutes ago, China said:

 

Now they just need to find a way to keep people's noses out of their phones while they're driving.

 

I'd settle for getting people high af off the road too. Every damn stoplight reeks of mj.

[Corcaigh]

With CarPlay, do you think cell-phone distracted driving is any less? Or are the ****ing morons posting and consuming social media while driving?

[China]

5 minutes ago, Corcaigh said:

With CarPlay, do you think cell-phone distracted driving is any less? Or are the ****ing morons posting and consuming social media while driving?

 

No.  First of all, I'd never even heard of it until you mentioned it, and I own an iPhone.  People have to both know about it and use it for it to be effective.

 

Second, it is something that works only in cars with a built in display, which means it can't be used in a lot of cars, especially when you consider that the average age of cars on the road keeps getting older. 

 

Can CarPlay be used with android phones?

 

Anecdotally, I still see plenty of people on the road looking at their phones and not where they are going.

[mistertim]

18 minutes ago, China said:

 

No.  First of all, I'd never even heard of it until you mentioned it, and I own an iPhone.  People have to both know about it and use it for it to be effective.

 

Second, it is something that works only in cars with a built in display, which means it can't be used in a lot of cars, especially when you consider that the average age of cars on the road keeps getting older. 

 

Can CarPlay be used with android phones?

 

Anecdotally, I still see plenty of people on the road looking at their phones and not where they are going.

 

The Android equivalent is Android Auto

[No Excuses]

This is a good move. They should also at some point institute hard caps on car speeds. There is zero reason vehicles should be able to exceed speed limits over 90 MPH. The max speed limit in the US is 85 MPH, and this is one highway in Texas.

 

You would avoid a lot of idiots like Henry Ruggs killing innocent people through both measures.

[TheGreatBuzz]

I plan on getting more politically active once I retire here in a month.  Below is one thing I want to start spreading the word for.  Anyone who knows how I got the name Buzz understands why drinking and driving is a big deal to me.

 

wife and I saw a demonstration of this system.  I’m was pretty interesting.  Also, we had both been drinking and it could pick up the difference between our BACs.

 

https://www.dadss.org/

[Corcaigh]

2 hours ago, China said:

 

No.  First of all, I'd never even heard of it until you mentioned it, and I own an iPhone.  People have to both know about it and use it for it to be effective.

 

Second, it is something that works only in cars with a built in display, which means it can't be used in a lot of cars, especially when you consider that the average age of cars on the road keeps getting older. 

 

Can CarPlay be used with android phones?

 

Anecdotally, I still see plenty of people on the road looking at their phones and not where they are going.

Treat yourself to a car with CarPlay. 
 

Integrated hands-free phone, texting, Waze, Spotify, podcasts, audiobooks and more.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by Corcaigh

[The Evil Genius]

Future automation (e.g. self driving cars) will also help.

[“Misdirection”]

This is a good idea in theory but in practice will find resistance. There’s most certainly a large segment that are and will be hesitant to give that kind of control to either an operating system, a corporation, or government.

 

Car companies may resist as well. More liability on them than the consumer by having to develop, install, and maintain these controls.

 

Then there’s the sabotage angle. The existence of these systems implies the ability to lock someone out of a car, that they own, completely. Or; limit them to whatever speed limit you want to set. 
 

And then there’s the “what if I was in danger” angle. And to avoid an accident; I needed to speed up to evade some obstacle or dire situation. Or some kind of bad guy after you, he may have figured how to get past these speeds, but you are limited. 
 

These are all situations most of us may never encounter. Certainly much less likely than speeding or driving drunk. 
 

But these would be some of the most immediate arguments against.

 

For the record, I’d probably be fine with this change. But seeing as everyone above is in agreement.. thought I’d throw some opposing views into the mix. 

[TheGreatBuzz]

1 hour ago, LLandryistheshiz said:

Or; limit them to whatever speed limit you want to set. 
 

And then there’s the “what if I was in danger” angle. And to avoid an accident; I needed to speed up to evade some obstacle or dire situation. Or some kind of bad guy after you, he may have figured how to get past these speeds, but you are limited. 

The standard is already there with modern diesel trucks.  If they run out of DEF, they are limited to 5 mph.  It has nothing to do with the ability of the truck to function, only to limit their emissions.  If your vehicle is in a situation that isn’t approved, it’s speed is limited.

[Larry]

I'd have a lot more faith in this tech if my car wasn't constantly telling me "driver rest recommended". 
 

(I think it's because, if I'm away from other cars, I often don't signal to change lanes.)

 

Agree with the idea to limit speed to 90 or so. I'm actually mildly ticked that my car's speedometer goes to 160. The F-150s only goes to 100, and it's a lot easier to read. 

[Simmsy]

I don't even drink and I don't know how I feel about this one.

[Rocky21]

Can’t say I’m excited about cameras being installed in my car spying on me.  Not to mention how this will affect the new car prices.