US May Disable All Car Phones, Says Trans. Secretary

gambit3 writes "The US government may require cars to include scrambling tech that would disable mobile-phone use by drivers, and perhaps passengers. 'I think it will be done,' US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said on Wednesday morning. 'I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones.' LaHood is on a self-described 'rampage' against distracted driving, and if making it impossible to use a mobile phone while in a car can save lives, he's all for it."

Comments

Mandatory chastity belts?

[martas]

To make sure blowjobs aren't distracting our drivers.

Re:Mandatory chastity belts?

[DamnRogue]

People will do absolutely anything while driving. I have personally witnessed the following activities performed by a (presumably) sober adult, driving a vehicle at ~70 mph on I-75 south in Atlanta:

1) Playing the the flute. The driver had both hands on the flute, with sheet music propped up on the wheel. He was steering the car with his knees.

2) Shaving one's head. This man was peering into his rear view mirror, head lathered with shaving cream, shaving his head with a STRAIGHT RAZOR.

Re:Whats going to stop me from disabling it?

[zmollusc]

Remove the scrambler and sell it on ebay to pranksters.

Re:Accidents, etc

[zmollusc]

Well duh! Periodically accelerate to 100mph, then stick it into neutral and switch the engine off. Check your phone while coasting. If you crash due to steering lock/no servo brakes/no power steering, you can use your phone to call for help.

Re:Go for it

[Anonymous Coward]

The right wing wants a Nanny state too, it's just a different one. Or what do you call sanctioned groping of 3 year old girls?

A party?

Re:But TVs are OK?!

[Nadaka]

That is just what we need, someone trying to drift around a curve while watching tv.

Re:Go for it

[Obfuscant]

And don't forget cars with built in phones. Hopefully the government will reimburse all the buyers of luxury vehicles and hands free headsets..

I think if you buy a new luxury car with both a built-in cell phone and a built-in cell phone jammer, you deserve to pay extra for something you can't use. You're a moron.

The requirement for a cell jammer in cars would apply to NEW cars.

Fun scenario: car crashes, passengers are trapped. Scrambler stays active. Passengers (and possibly people nearby) can't call for help. Hopefully the scramblers will have a very short range..

This is why it won't happen. I was going to say too many politicians drive off the road and kill their passengers, but I guess the famous one who did that didn't bother calling the cops AT ALL, much less from the scene. So, yes, maybe it will happen. It prevents the politicians who kill people from the responsibility of calling to report it.

BTW, calling it a "scrambler" is just wrong. It's "willful and deliberate interference with a licensed radio transmission from a primary user of the spectrum involved." That's like a $10,000 dollar a day fine.

Re:Go for it

[Anonymous Coward]

Why could he not shift to neutral and let the car slow down?

Cause this is 'Merica, we don't know what "shift" means

Re:But TVs are OK?!

[mistiry]

Easy workaround here:

Cut the cable for the parking bake.
Always leave engaged.
Take out the bulb for the brake light. ...?
Profit!

Re:Go for it

[hldn]

it's arguably more retarded. however, both ideas are extremely retarded, so it's not even worth arguing.

Re:won't happen

[drcheap]

People would be screaming if a life safety system like this got jammed by the USG.

Well yes, they would be screaming (for help), but only for a while.

Forget the Brown Zune...

[BancBoy]

Pay for it through auctioning off confiscated cell phones discovered through the service.

Just think for a minute how most of the cell phones were transported into the prisons and I think I might have found a flaw in your business plan...