For many people the commute to or from the office represents one of their last personal sanctuaries. Though the potentially peaceful time to either wind up or wind down can be severely interrupted by traffic, weather conditions, road rage, and hot spilled coffee, it still gives many some time to reflect on their current state of being and hopefully enjoy a brief respite from the waiting demands of everyday life.
Unfortunately, we have seen more and more invasions on the last sliver of sanity (if you can call the 101 freeway sane) from several different angles. Toyota recently announced that it was developing a device that will measure a driver's blood-alcohol level and shut their car down automatically should the level be over the legal limit. Now, hopefully this type of oversight and public micro-management won't affect your morning commute. If it does, then you may have some significantly larger problems, yet at the same time, while no one can condone driving while impaired, this certainly has the earmarks of a breach in privacy.
The questions really is where will the limits of driving freedom lie?
You could say that the invasion began back with the adoption of the license plate, but that one has been around for a while and is pretty well accepted as necessary identifier. In the early 70's however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association recommended that manufacturers begin developing technologies that would record some vehicle driving parameters for use in safety programs. The first such mainstream technology was the airbag as it employs several sensors and requires the use of a more substantial automotive ECU.
Ever since, automobiles have been getting more and more advanced and currently employ more technology than did a personal computer only 10 years ago. Technology therefore, isn't the issue, but a lack of regulation and pressure from privacy advocates have delayed the inevitable "backseat big brother" intrusion. New Hampshire just implemented a law, which requires manufacturers selling vehicles in their state to disclose whether or not their vehicles are equipped with "black boxes," which doesn't really help the privacy issue, but at least lets you know about it. Other states like North Dakota are adopting similar disclosure laws.
In 2004 the NHTSA passed a regulation requiring manufacturer disclosure of EDR's (Event Data Recorders) in owner's manuals and OEMs have until 2011 under federal law to comply. In 2005, some 64% of new vehicles sold in North America already were equipped with the device. The recorders have become very helpful for fleets, rental companies, as well as insurance companies and lawyers recreating accidents and collisions.
Apparently you are no longer alone during the drive and you may not have even realized it. However, I wouldn't try to use that as an excuse to drive in the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. If that women who was pregnant couldn't get away with it, then I doubt you will.
It looks like we will be heading to yet another automotive showdown, this time between the privacy folk and the John Ashcrofts of the world, though it looks like the bad guys may have the upper hand. Just imagine what could be done with GPS, OnStar, and Smart Road Technology. And to think these guys don't even pitch in for gas.
To see an article on how the black box is being used in criminal/accidents cases, click here.
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