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Expect Mandatory 'Big Brother' Black Boxes In All New Cars From 2015

New submitter Kraftwerk writes "A bill already passed by the Senate and set to be rubber stamped by the House would make it mandatory for all new cars in the United States to be fitted with black box data recorders from 2015 onwards. Section 31406 of Senate Bill 1813 (known as MAP-21), calls for 'Mandatory Event Data Recorders' to be installed in all new automobiles and legislates for civil penalties to be imposed against individuals for failing to do so. 'Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall revise part 563 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to require, beginning with model year 2015, that new passenger motor vehicles sold in the United States be equipped with an event data recorder that meets the requirements under that part,' states the bill."

8 of 628 comments (clear)

  1. slippery slope by bigtrike · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The next thing you know, the government will be totally involved in your private lives, such as making decisions about who you can marry and restricting your ability to make decisions about your own body.

  2. Re:Big Brother? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's a good thing we know from experience that our government only collects data it's legally authorized to collect.

  3. Re:Just a recorder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What? You think that an insurance company wouldn't try to get out of paying a claim if they could find out whether you were speeding? Information is enabling. People should think long and hard about what they want to enable others (especially the government and corporations) to do with their information.

  4. re: think long and hard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Thinking long and hard is... oh, hey! The football game is on! Grab a beer and have a seat!

  5. Editors, Please Take Note by TheSpoom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If the primary source for a link is InfoWars, look for a secondary link from a less biased and/or batshit insane source. If one cannot be found, skip the article please.

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  6. Re:Big Brother? by berashith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    all good until you hit a TSA minded check point that says you must turn over access to the data or you are not allowed to continue driving. You will not be allowed to turn around, you will have to leave the car in their possession. If anything on the recorder indicates that you have been exceeding speed limits , then thse will be ticketable offenses.

    The track record is too severe to trust our govt with this idea.

  7. Re: think long and hard by Desler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, they CLAIMED to be like that. There's a big difference between the two. They were plenty fond Of getting the government involved in people's sex lives, their reproductive health choices, whether or not they used drugs, using the government to mandate school prayer on people, etc. Let us also not forget that it was under Reagan that the country went from being the world's largest creditor to the world's larget debtor (before you try to claim the whole republicans are fiscal conservatives nonsense).

  8. Re: think long and hard by cpu6502 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many people don't have car insurance.
    - people who walk
    - people who ride a horse (my Amish neighbors)
    - people who use a buggy (local farmers)
    - people who ride a bike
    - or train
    - or bus
    - or cycle

    FURTHERMORE and this is the most important part: The Member States have the power to mandate insurance, but the central Congress does not. Read amendment 10 of our bill of rights.

    So if Massachusetts wants to mandate the purchase of hospital insurance, they can. I think that's anti-freedom idea but, per the 10th, they have the authority. The central government does not.

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