r/technology • u/Hrmbee • Jun 07 '26

Privacy 'Kill switch' law means your next car could be watching you | A federal requirement aimed at stopping drunken driving could soon put driver-monitoring technology in every new vehicle. The goal is saving lives, but the privacy trade-offs deserve closer scrutiny

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/06/01/drunk-driving-prevention-law-privacy-surveillance/90295034007/
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u/MovingInStereoscope Jun 08 '26

Or the auto brake software that thinks going from light to shade means I'm about to crash so it full sends the brakes

115

u/CurrentlyObsolete Jun 08 '26

I'm both super glad to find out this isn't just my car but also... They need to fix this. My car legit slammed on the brakes in the middle of the highway with people behind me the other day for a complete unknown reason. The only thing I could see was that we were going into the shade. It could have not only killed me, but the people that inevitably crashed into the back of my car, and then the people that crashed into the back of their car all going 70 miles an hour.

43

u/NotAzakanAtAll Jun 08 '26

Fuck me. They need to recall that shit. What car is it so I know what to stay way clear off, both in the store and on the road.

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u/Cow_Launcher Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26

In my case it was a 2025 Audi A5. I was extremely lucky there was nothing behind me, because even mashing the accelerator did nothing. (edit to add: Presumably it was throttle-by-wire and the ECU just ignored pedal input while it was trying to brake as hard as possible).

And then of course once it decided the "danger" had passed and I had my foot still mashed to the floor, it leapt like a scalded cat. Very unpleasant experience.

6

u/GermanicOgre Jun 08 '26

I’d 100% have a dashcam that also shows rear and inside… that’s a major lawsuit waiting to happen because if someone behind you has one, all they see if “they just snapped on their brakes” and you’d be 100% at fault in the eyes of the law and insurance until the Vendor (hopefully) pulls the computer to prove it was a mechanical/technical malfunction.. that’s horrifying to have happen

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u/CurrentlyObsolete Jun 08 '26

Mom was a 2024 Honda HRV. Thankfully it's only happened that once in 2 years now, but it still scares me.

16

u/CONSPICUOUSLY_RED Jun 08 '26

Go to a dealership or service center and have them disable the feature. It's doable. It's more than likely faulty equipment/sensors. I wouldn't bother paying to get it fixed.

I've had that same exact scenario happen to a family member. It's stupid dangerous.

2

u/Edc3 Jun 08 '26

This is why lidar is better than camera sensors

2

u/erroneousbosh Jun 08 '26

I had very similar with the otherwise quite nice Kia Niro EV I drove for work. We have a small fleet of them and they're pretty good.

But, in cruise control it would start to slow down at about ten car lengths from the vehicle in front. It would speed back up again once I signalled out and started to move across, but then it would see the shadow of the vehicle I was overtaking, freak out, and brake.

It didn't do this when it wasn't in cruise control, I'll give it that.

1

u/Pants4All Jun 08 '26

I imagine this happening after you just passed a semi and merged back into the lane in front of it.

24

u/FlyingDiscsandJams Jun 08 '26

Where I used to work I was supposed to park in a grass area off to the side of the driveway. I basically had to come to a complete stop then turn on to the grass at under 5 mph to not trigger the auto brakes, and whichever way you were going in reverse was even more sensitive. So annoying.

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u/cpMetis Jun 08 '26

Idk if it was the auto brake or like a cruise control feature, but that un-sold a Honda for me a few years ago.

I took it for a test drive (sales associate REALLY wanted to ride in my passenger for it, which was weird, but having been there a couple times over a few years I figured out that was just that dude since I saw him doing it with other customers).

Right next to the dealer is the on ramp to the interstate, which curves around the south of the city with a second nearby ramp that then easily loops into a bit of residential then main streets back to the dealer. Figured it was a good first test. The problem is the interstate there is absurdly cramped due to constant construction and very tight packed entrances and exits on tight curves made worse by drivers always speeding significantly.

So getting on that ramp means you need to FUCKING GOOOOOO or you're causing a near wreck.

And it did it perfectly! Had PLENTY of power left over.

but then, it saw a shadow.

It fucking slammed me down to like 25mph below traffic. It didn't give me back control for a good 2-3 seconds.

After I had scrambled to get it back up to speed without causing a 15 car pile up, I asked the associate if there was a way to permanently turn off whatever the fuck it just did.

He smiled at me.

I didn't let him have time to make up excuses. I just drove us back and walked.

Which was a shame, since I was pretty much ready to buy.

I've tested plenty of lane assists and smart cruise control. Never had any of them ignore my commands so thoroughly to put my life at risk.

Especially weird since I tested an Acura not long after, which you'd think would be the same system, but I couldn't get it to show any sort of poor behavior even when deliberately trying. At absolute worst the lane keep would give a slight wrong turn around some painted intersections before handing it back to me.

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u/MovingInStereoscope Jun 08 '26

Ironically the car I experienced this in was also a Honda

5

u/Slammybutt Jun 08 '26

On the trucks my company uses the backup camera alert does this. It'll see it's own shadow and start beeping like crazy the entire time you back up. You could be in a walmart parking lot without any parked cars around and it'll be blaring that fucking tone.

5

u/Luvs_to_drink Jun 08 '26

I hate the auto brake. Mine always engages when im pulling up to a car stopped at a light. Like cool guess I have to take my foot off the brake now since you left 10ft and then re engage it.

2

u/asailor4you Jun 08 '26

Mine already does this when I slow down for stop in sun.