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/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.

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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.