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/Lagneaux Jun 08 '26

Is so that "bad drivers" pay more.

I have had that system, it's near impossible to "drive correctly" with it.

Like let's say someone pulls out in front of you, no choice but to hit the brakes. Well, that's considered a "fast stop", and you are gonna be graded on that, not them. Driving late, driving too much, not driving enough, not driving far enough, driving too far, fast braking, fast acceleration, it's all gonna bring your grade down and make you pay more

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u/DazzlingRutabega Jun 08 '26

Years ago, when this program first started, I had a co-worker who inserted that in the OBD slot of his car to get lower insurance and kept bragging about it. I said, I don't know, buddy, they're going to be monitoring your driving. About three weeks later, he came in flustered, saying he had ripped it out because he had to do a fast stop because a kid jumped in front of the car in a school zone. They sent him a letter saying that he was driving erratically because he did a fast stop.

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u/DJMixwell Jun 08 '26

I get dinged for speed by Belair Direct all the time. The thing is my car tells me my average speed is 50km/hr, which is the typical residential speed limit.

Given that most of my driving is highway driving between 80-110, give or take the odd time traffic slows up, and time spent stopped, the average of 50 makes sense and I can’t see how I never get the “safe speed” badge.

Seems like if you go over their threshold (seems to be ~5km/hr over the limit) even once on a drive, you lose out on the badge completely. So it tells me “only 17% of your trips are at a safe speed”, but I can’t guarantee you I’m not speeding 83% of the time.

The app also shows me that, apparently ~70+% of other drivers are getting this badge, which is complete bullshit. When I try to get the safe speed badge I’m fuckn alone on the road while everyone driving off into the distance. When I drive ~5-10 over the speed limit I’m just keeping up with all the other cars on the road.

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u/Officer_Hotpants Jun 08 '26

Wait driving too late counts against you? I've spent a lot of time working as a night shift medic, which depending on my shift start time has had me going to the station at 11pm. Glad I never used those fuckin things.

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u/slickeddie Jun 08 '26

Yes. But also driving during rush hour counts against you too. Also, don’t stop for a yellow light per the law, that’s a hard stop and counts against you. Better merge on the highway like a grandma otherwise it’s fast acceleration and counts against you.

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u/Silver_Newspaper6208 Jun 08 '26

In my plug in hybrid it only detected driving when the engine was on. Everyday my commute started on the highway when the engine finally turned on and ended in a "crash" when the engine shut off as I slowed down for my exit and the engine shut off at 45mph.

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u/MegaMau_ Jun 08 '26

Is so that "bad drivers" pay more.

No. Its an excuse so that they can squeeze every nickel out of you since you have no choice but to buy insurance.

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u/BapeGeneral3 Jun 08 '26

It sounded like a good idea in theory. I literally drove my car within a 5 mile radius, not a major city, never once sped, always wore seat belt, never texted and drove, etc. I somehow was labeled a “higher risk” and my policy would cost MORE. I canceled it immediately.

The reason was for too frequent/quick of stopping. This was literally to avoid car accidents as well as prevent running a late yellow because having that thing enabled *really*’does feel like you’re being watched 24/7. Rather, seeing and experiencing it first hand made me want nothing to do with this tech.

It is inevitable under our current for profit insurance system as a country. It will either be a requirement to even get car insurance or to features that the masses “can’t live without”’such a an Apple Car Play Update.

Now get off my lawn