Car Kill Switch Mandates

Video Transcript:

Are you aware of the new legislation that mandates kill switches in all cars starting in 2026? Yeah, it was snuck inside a recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and is a proposal to have a lockout device to be installed in all new cars. This is no joke. It has already passed Congress and the House. So that means it's in play, it's the law, until something changes that. A quote from law enforcement today commented that the infrastructure bill includes drunk driving kill switch in all cars and some worry the government will abuse it. Drunk driving appears to be a cover for what can occur, the possibility for abuse is clearly something which bears watching. This could also give access to outsiders with spyware and hackers. Once you open up access to the electronics, it can be misused by the government preventing you from driving during lockdowns and national health emergencies and opens up access to criminals with bad intentions. As computer hackers could seize control of these vehicles and this is a huge safety concern. And finally, elected officials are realizing this is more serious issue than they thought when they passed the bill. Now take a closer look at this infrastructure bill they jammed through section 24 to 20. This mandates installation of equipment to listen to in-car noises and conversation, yes, monitor your eyes and kill switches to automatically turn off your car. It states all new cars in the United States will be required to install this kill switch by 2026. This section was passed allegedly to stop drunk drivers but the law is very broad and the concern is that it may lead to the government abuse of privacy, yeah your privacy, especially as the government wants more and more control over your car. We've seen this in other areas in our lives too and now it's in your vehicle. This would mean that any system that would require vehicles to be connected to the wireless networks which isn't much of a stretch because we already have Wi-Fi in our cars and since a majority of new vehicles virtually all electric vehicles come with Wi-Fi capability and automatic updates. General Motors was one of the leading car manufacturers to include in-car internet connectivity over 10 years ago through its on-star system. Last November, former US representative Bob Barr of Georgia warned that such devices are a privacy disaster in the making while further warning the law is disturbingly short on details. Law enforcement today published a piece on the kill switches last year which included this quote, what we do know is that the safety device must passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired. Everything about this mandatory measure should set off red flags. Such a law has possible chilling consequences if taken to theoretical extremes. Why do you think bureaucracy is pushing such a thing as a smart grid? Once again that would allow the federal government to control what Americans set their thermostat at. Now hours per day you could run an air conditioner and the distance you can drive as well. No I'm not wearing a tin foil hat and many of these controls are already in place and we live with them every day but how many do you actually want? We have covered automotive kill switches in the past and you can check that out up here but if you dig deeper you'll find even more details. Nobody can argue that drunk drivers are an issue with road safety and everyone safety. However the latest proposal by the Biden administration raises some serious questions. From a police perspective having the ability to shut down another driver's car either operated by a drunk driver or stolen car could prove to be advantageous for everyone's safety. The elimination of dangerous police pursuits is a goal that all police officers would embrace in order to reduce the danger to the public as well as officers themselves. One problem identified is the fact that the proposed kill switches is an open system or at least one with a back door meaning that authorized or unauthorized third parties can remotely access the system for data anytime like insurance companies. Hmm or the government or the car manufacturers and that of course begs the question who exactly will have access to your car's kill switch. Packers, police department, department of justice, the IRS, lawyers wonder if a warrant would be required in order to activate your car's system and shut it down. In all vehicles built after 2026 drivers will no longer have the sole choice as to whether or not a car may be driven and instead that decision will be at least in part put into the hands of the algorithm over which the car's owner or driver have neither knowledge nor control. While such technology clearly presents some advantages as mentioned parking drunk drivers and eliminating police pursuits, there are plenty of scenarios you can imagine a safety perspective for you and your teenage drivers or your elderly drivers and friends that could make you very concerned. Perhaps the interlocked device is noble but it is much too easy to abuse and hackers will simply pretty much darn take advantage of it and this is a bad idea especially if it decides to make a decision based on the algorithm rather than the factors that are actually in play. This system could be utilized or adjusted down the road to alert law enforcement authorities that someone is speeding over the limit. This is already in place in the UK. I was just there and witnessed it myself. No I didn't get pulled over but you can see all the notifications that were coming up on the Ways app that they were facing your average speed and they just send you a ticket. They take away your driver's license and there's no way to get it back if you get caught speeding three times. They are tracking every move to keep us in line and it is unknown how much it will cost new car buyers to pay for this additional new technology passed along by the manufacturer because they're not going to cover it you're going to pay for it. The kill switch is coming and there's nothing you can do and some of these systems are already in current vehicles and the only way to undo this law is to defund and remove this current clause. Now is the time to speak up and tell your elected officials I want this removed we don't need these controls and it violates your fourth amendment rights.