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submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

U.S. auto safety regulators say they have taken the first step toward requiring devices in vehicles that prevent drunk or impaired driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Tuesday that it is starting the process to put a new federal safety standard in place requiring the technology in all new passenger vehicles.

Such devices were required in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed by Congress in 2021.

The agency says an advance notice of proposed rule making will help it gather information about the state of technology to detect impaired driving. The regulation would set standards for the devices once technology is mature, NHTSA said in a statement.

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[-] aelwero@lemmy.world 54 points 6 months ago

One item per bill.

This didn't have bipartisan support. This wasn't debated. Neither you nor I had any representation whatsoever on this issue, it was proposed by an obscure lobby group and someone tacked it onto something that actually mattered.

Who actually wants to buy a breathalyzer as a required option on a new car?

[-] Ibex0@lemmy.world 32 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I'm seriously concerned about my car not starting or turning off while on driving. Think about that Maui wildfire, what if your bac was just over the limit? Do you deserve a death sentence because your car won't start?

And any system that can disable your car can be hacked or abused by the government.

And what about "distracted driving?" Fool, I'm just looking out the windows?

[-] jonne@infosec.pub 6 points 6 months ago

Not to mention how expensive that shit will be to install in every car.

[-] Ibex0@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Yup, install and maintain.

[-] chitak166@lemmy.world 28 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I wonder what insiders are getting kickbacks for this.

Each feature added to a car raises the price by more than it costs to add.

[-] Mango@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

Me. I'm getting kickbacks. I'm gonna find investors to open up a school for people to learn how to build their own car from scratch!

Fuck with me government!

[-] chitak166@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

I admire your enthusiasm.

[-] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 23 points 6 months ago

Horrible idea. False positives are gonna get people fired.

[-] EmoBean@lemmy.world 16 points 6 months ago

Can a car be disabled by pouring a cup of vodka through the window?

[-] FaceDeer@kbin.social 10 points 6 months ago

Or by having a sufficiently drunk passenger?

[-] Vej@lemm.ee 9 points 6 months ago

I'm worried because I use hand sanitizer in my car.

[-] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Gonna carry around a spray bottle of booze to prank people.

[-] raef@lemmy.world -4 points 6 months ago

Breathalyzers don't test for alcohol. They measure metabolites from alcohol

[-] Zorg@lemmings.world 14 points 6 months ago

Great intentions, but I'm a bit worried about how the non-contact breath detection will work, if you're sober and giving your wasted friend(s) a ride home from the bar. BAC detection by touch might be better, if they can make it work that is.

Seeing how cars with Super-cruise have eye tracking, why not roll impaired & distracted driving into one safety package.

Eye tracking has become a reliable neuroscience tool for identifying the eye movements that are linked to impairments caused by alcohol use disorders. For example, a machine-learning model has been developed to detect alcohol intoxication based on a person's eye gaze and eye closure. (From Google's generated cliff notes)

Disabling a vehicle if the driver isn't looking at the road for x seconds might be a bit drastic. I could imagine e.g. muting the volume if not at the very least glancing at the road every 2~3 seconds. Would piss off a lot of people, then not long thereafter teach them to pay attention to where they are going.

[-] Vej@lemm.ee 8 points 6 months ago

I'm putting electric tape over any camera inside my house and vehicle. I'm glad my vehicle is older.

[-] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 6 months ago

What, like a breathalyzer in every car?

[-] lewdian69@lemmy.world 16 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

"technology that would automatically test a driver’s breath for alcohol and stop a vehicle from moving if the driver is impaired. The driver wouldn’t have to blow into a tube, and a sensor would check the driver’s breath.

Another company is working on light technology that could test for blood alcohol in a person’s finger, the group has said."

[-] TheAlbatross@lemmy.blahaj.zone 36 points 6 months ago

I like the idea of fewer drunk drivers on the road a great deal, but I'm not sure I'd trust auto companies to handle that kind of data responsibly

[-] MagicShel@programming.dev 12 points 6 months ago

No worries, someone will have a workaround before it's even out. But it'll make cars more expensive anyway.

[-] Fixbeat@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 months ago
[-] snooggums@kbin.social 9 points 6 months ago

I don't trust them to implement the functionality successfully.

[-] chitak166@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

So now we can see who has a profit incentive to control US policy on this matter.

[-] Mango@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

Meanwhile Mazda is claiming ownership of information about their customers' sex lives!

[-] Pavidus@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

New Mazda owner here. I wish I knew exactly what metric they were using to gather this info. I would make it think I was fucking EVERY time I start the car.

[-] Mango@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Your phone calls. Through the Bluetooth.

[-] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 5 points 6 months ago

So what if the passenger is drunk? This seems like an awful idea

[-] Nougat@kbin.social 11 points 6 months ago

Welp, guess I'll just have to start smoking crack.

[-] Bonesince1997@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Picked a good day

this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
86 points (96.7% liked)

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