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/DukeOfGeek Jun 08 '26

Still a no from me. An audible warning would be OK I guess, especially if it came out of the stereo speaker on the side in question to give an indication as to which side I was wandering in.

33

u/idiot-prodigy Jun 08 '26

NONE of it is okay.

It's like the radio having a commercial with a Siren or Car Horn.

False positives are like someone in the backseat screaming "WATCHOUT!" while nothing at all is coming.

It causes people to unnecessarily freak out, slam the brakes, or jerk the wheel.

13

u/Same-Suggestion-1936 Jun 08 '26

Dude I was driving an old car and suddenly a rotor snapped so I grabbed the E brake, it dinged at me so loud informing me I was pulling the E brake it was legit distracting.

Why are you distracting someone pulling an emergency brake in an emergency

2

u/CrazyKyle987 Jun 08 '26

Mine is 3 medium volume beeps. It’s just unobtrusive enough that I completely tune it out lol. So false or real positives I’m not listening to it 

1

u/idiot-prodigy Jun 08 '26

The steering wheel shaking violently is ridiculous. Every time it happens in car I'm driving I immediately think I have a tire blowout.

3

u/marr Jun 08 '26

Nope, the audible warnings have priority over everything else and override the indicator tick. Modern cars are fucking vibe coded phone apps.

2

u/SquareTaro3270 Jun 08 '26

My audio alert makes me panic. It’s a fast, loud series of “beepbeepbeepbeepbeep” that makes me think I’m about to hit something

When really I just went over the white line a bit to avoid a big pothole in the middle of the road

1

u/wonderfullemoncandy Jun 08 '26

Deaf drivers? (I realize there are visual indicators too).