Mandatory Automotive Black Boxes May Be On the Way

Attila Dimedici writes "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to announce a new regulation requiring all vehicles to contain a 'black box.' Not only that, but the devices would be designed to make it difficult (possibly illegal) to modify what information these devices collect or to disable them even though the courts have ruled that the owner of the vehicle owns the data. The courts have also ruled that authorities may access that data (to what degree and whether a warrant is necessary depends on the state)."

Next we will all be required to be chipped

[Anonymous Coward]

it's for the children.

Re:Next we will all be required to be chipped

[siddesu]

And next, it won't be you talking to the chip, but the chip talking to you.

Welcome to the Matrix, Neo, which pill will you have?

Limitation

[mehrotra.akash]

As long as the use is limited to investigate accidents ONLY, and they retain only about 15-30 minutes of data, it would be OK.

They shouldnt be used for general law enforcement like speeding,etc..

Computers are infallible...

[Thruen]

Don't you know computers don't make mistakes? Putting black boxes in cars will ensure that noone is ever found at fault when they shouldn't be, and that you're never wrongfully ticketed. This is the way things are going, it's like the cameras they use to catch speeders and red light runners, and those things have never made a mistake, certainly never been shown to consistently make mistakes... Seriously though, I like the idea of a black box system that will reliably determine who is at fault in an accident, but just like everything else, this bit of information will be misused. Anyone else remember when those plate-scanning cameras weren't going to be used to bust people with expired registrations and lapsed insurance?

Re:Next we will all be required to be chipped

[EraserMouseMan]

I agree. For crying out loud when will people realize that they are putting their lives and the lives of others in danger. After all, why do you *need* to drive your own car? Take a bus. Take a cab. Take the subway. Let a state licensed professional drive you around. I've never understood why people feel they have a right to choose to do something dangerous. With mandatory black boxes in vehicles the state will be able to show that the professionals are the ones who should be behind the wheel.

Re:Next we will all be required to be chipped

[Oxford_Comma_Lover]

Driving within the laws in New York would actively be either dangerous or incredibly inefficient for hundreds or thousands of people behind you in a lot of cases. If you follow the wrong signs, you will smash your car into concrete barriers. If you follow "Lane closed Merge [right/left]" signs, you will change lanes without cause many times, increasing the likelihood of accident. If you only drive in lanes, regardless of what street you are on, rather than edging forward into available space, you will make your trip much, much, much slower, causing dozens or hundreds of cars to have to get around you in New York Traffic.

That being said, one has to know which laws are de jure and which are de facto. For example, one should merge the first time you see a lane closed sign, and possible for a week or two after (or at least be aware) in case they put the sign up before working instead of leaving it up. Similarly, it is almost never okay to run a red light. In fact, it is best to assume it just isn't okay.