Tag Archives: kill switch

Saving America:  Big Brother 

Posted on by

Author:  R. Alan Harrop,Ph.D.

Beware of good intentions! This is a warning that should be heeded by our elected officials as well as we the citizens of this great country. Many new programs and government directives may intend to solve a problem or even protect the people. However, in the case of the subject of this article the government takes onto itself a potential power over the people which we, the people, would never have agreed to if given the choice.

In 2021, the Democrat controlled Senate added an amendment to an massive Infrastructure bill that funded highway and bridge construction. The amendment, Section 24220, required all automobiles manufactured in the United States beginning in 2026/2027 to contain a monitoring system that was designed to test the functioning of a driver before or even after the person’s vehicle was started and driven. The system is to consist of cameras, sensors, and electronics designed to observe the driver’s eye motions, braking and steering functioning. An algorithm in the vehicle computer will then determine whether the person is fit to drive. I will bet that none of you knew that such a requirement is now required. I sure did not. Apparently, it was put in the large infrastructure bill at the last moment, generally unknown to the public, and not covered by the media that I know of.

Now, if you believe and trust that the federal government and their bureaucrats can be relied upon to never exceed the original intention of such a regulation, then you are living in a dream world. There are numerous instances of regulations being expanded and misused as I am sure you are aware. This reminds me, like many other things done by the Marxist Democrats, of the warnings of George Orwell in his book 1984, where the government increasingly monitors citizens and arrests them when they try to avoid government scrutiny systems. By the way, the estimated additional cost to a new vehicle is over $2,000. Not only is this a clear violation to our right to privacy and personal freedom, but it provides a mechanism by which the government could implement a system in the future where they can control you use of your vehicle whenever they choose. They can already track your location, speed, etc. using GPS technology. Another example, perhaps not quite so draconian, is already in place on diesel vehicles. I own a 2016 Ram 2500 diesel truck that I primarily use for towing an RV. It has a built in Diesel Exhaust System that if not functioning properly will slow the truck down to a maximum of 5MPH if the error in the system is not corrected within 150 miles of the warning light appearing. This happened to me recently, and cost me $3300 for repairs. Interestingly, my local mechanic was not able to repair the system because the required parts were only available through a dealership. No one told me about this infringement on my rights when I purchased the truck.

A couple of efforts have been initiated by few Republican congressman to repeal this regulation. One is HR1137-No Kill Switches in Cars Act that was originally filed by Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Representative Chip Roy of Texas has also been active in trying to have the kill switches removed. Sadly, not all Republicans have supported their efforts. I strongly suggest that you contact your congressional representative and let him know what your position is on kill switches. Remember, the road to totalitarian control is a gradual erosion of your rights and freedoms, often masked by some seemingly positive goal. Trusting government to do what they say is always a bad idea as we saw with the Covid lockdowns and mandatory vaccines.

About That Kill Switch

Posted on by

On Monday, The Daily Caller posted an article about a mandate that every 2027 model car have a kill switch. The mandate was included in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. I am willing to bet that at least half of the Congress that voted for that bill had no idea that mandate was in the bill. Efforts to kill the mandate have failed so far.

The article reports:

Congress quietly passed an Orwellian regulation during former President Joe Biden’s term requiring all new cars to feature a “kill switch,” raising the alarm among some Republicans — but not all of them.

Republicans like Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Texas Rep. Chip Roy, and Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry have led the charge in the House to scrap the invasive regulation, calling it “impractical” and “Orwellian.” Yet in the most recent January vote to reverse the regulation, 57 Republicans joined nearly every Democrat to mandate that every 2027 model car have a kill switch.

This feature would use technology to assess the driver’s performance and determine whether they are impaired. If the car determines the driver is unfit to be behind the wheel, the kill switch would shut the car off, raising concerns about safety, surveillance, and implementation.

The article notes:d

One of the most powerful lobbying groups responsible for pushing the regulation is Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a non-profit founded in 1980 by Candace Lightner after her 13-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver.

Although the regulation is intended to minimize tragedies caused by drunk driving, lawmakers have raised concerns about its actual implementation. The language is technology-neutral, meaning it’s up to the car manufacturer to design and install a range of systems like sensors that assess driving, cameras that track the driver’s eyes, and self-driving software.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also proposed several technologies to assess if a driver is impaired, including a touch sensor that measures alcohol concentration using a touchpad on the car’s steering wheel or ignition switch. This sensor uses infrared spectroscopy to detect alcohol concentration in the capillary blood in the skin of the driver’s hand.

There is also talk of sensors that measure whether a driver is stressed. Imagine the following scenario: you are in the woods hunting, and a bear decides to chase you. You run to your car, hoping to drive away from the situation. You car’s sensors say you are stressed and will not allow you to start the car. You sit in the car as the bear tears the car apart to get to you. That doesn’t sound like a good thing.

Don’t Believe The Fact-Checkers On This One

Posted on by

On Wednesday, Townhall posted an article about a new feature that will be on American cars beginning in 2026.

The article reports:

Soon the government might shut down your car.

President Joe Biden’s new infrastructure gives bureaucrats that power.

You probably didn’t hear about that because when media covered it, few mentioned the requirement that by 2026, every American car must “monitor” the driver, determine if he is impaired and, if so, “limit vehicle operation.”

Rep. Thomas Massie objected, complaining that the law makes government “judge, jury and executioner on such a fundamental right!”

Congress approved the law anyway.

A USA Today “fact check” told readers, don’t worry, “There’s no kill switch in Biden’s bill.”

“They didn’t read it, because it’s there!” says automotive engineer and former vintage race car driver Lauren Fix in my new video. The clause is buried under Section 24220 of the law.

USA Today’s “fact” check didn’t lie, exactly. It acknowledged that the law requires “new cars to have technology that identifies if a driver is impaired and prevents operation.” Apparently, they just didn’t like the term “kill switch.”

But it is a kill switch.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants that.

I say to Fix, “It would save lives.”

“Are you willing to give up every bit of control of your life?” she asks. “Once you give that up, you have no more freedom. This computer decides you can’t drive your vehicle. Great. Unless someone’s having a heart attack and trying to get to the hospital.”

There are also new proposals to further control American’s driving:

California lawmakers want new cars to have a speed governor that prevents you from going more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.

Please follow the link above to read the entire article. It contains information on the information our cars collect on us. Remember when we thought OnStar and things like it were a great thing? They generally are, but like most electronics, they are easily misused.