New British cars may have to be fitted with breathalyser technology and black box-style recorders under Labour plans to align with EU vehicle safety laws.
The Government said copying European rules would drive down costs…
Here is the full Telegraph article. It seems more complicated than that, instead the car has to allow for the possibility of installation of such a device, without the use of the device, or the device, being required per se. So the black box is more concerning to me. It would mean that a complete monitoring of your whereabouts and driving behavior could become possible. There are Event Data Recorders in most newer US cars, but to date they are not used for very much. Perhaps the American ethos prevents slippery slope on this one?
These are not just extreme paranoid fears. When driving with a Spanish rental car this summer, the car issued an annoying, recurring beep every time it was being driven over the speed limit, even by small amounts. For one thing, the road synchs with the beeping device do not always accurately reflect the posted speed limits. For another, often the speed limit would suddenly fall by 20km, but of course you should decelerate rather than slamming on the brakes. For another, it can be dangerous to always drive below or even at the speed limit, especially when overtaking and I do mean sane rather than crazy overtaking.
So on these issues matters could indeed get much worse.
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