Majority of comments here are on the headline and clearly did not read the article:
- It doesnt use breathalyzers, it uses safety systems similar as those for cruise control.
- It would be installed at the factory by manufacturers.
- It would be mandated by 2026, no different than how other basic vehicle safety equipment has been mandated for vehicles over time: seatbelts, airbags, reverse cams, third brake light, and so on.
My current driver monitoring system (Subaru Outback 2020 with whatever bells/whistles were available) was distracting and wrong so often that I had to disable it. With it on it would try distracting me with flashing messages and beeps while I was navigating 6 way intersections where I live. It was constantly unhappy that I wasn't looking exactly straight forward out the main window. The worst was probably highways where there was nothing in front of my vehicle for a quarter mile or more but I needed to look over my shoulder extensively to be able to safely change lanes out of the right-hand lane into the busier left hand lane.
That's barely broken in: I expect cars to be perfectly usable for many decades, if properly maintained. I do NOT want techo-obsolescence in a few years!
My personal goal is to never again own a car with a screen (especially a touchscreen), or with any kind of radio transmitter/transceiver to track and report anything back to the mfr. (And I'm an IoT guy!)
I've been wondering what the newest and safest car I could own that doesn't report back or at least could have its reporting removed without bricking the vehicle. Do you have any specific vehicles in mind?
Sure, but my car doesn't offer any way of feedback so I can tell them it's broken now. Are they testing the weird intersection layouts found in my suburb of Chicago? Further, why doesn't the alert threshold vary based on whether there is an obstacle or vehicle in front of me (they already detect this for other functions)? It's possible that these problems are going to be solved, but the software that will be released on MY2026 will be largely finalized by 2023 (2024 at the latest) which is coming up fast. While I'd love to believe that all of the safety systems are built on the same modular software architecture and I'm going to get upgrades on my MY2026 (which basically only happen in govt-forced scenarios right now), I don't have a lot of faith in this. It would be really nice to see safety systems evolve over time to get better, but this hasn't been common in any ECU to date and I don't see it becoming common unless the government also mandates it along with their fancy surveillance.
It provides central surveillance, monitoring, and control with a legal mandate to interface with domestic law enforcement. It is the government version of Apples photo surveillance system except controlloing peoples mobility, which is far more dangerous.
I'm sorry but none of what you are suggesting is mentioned in the article, and this system is not out yet for anyone to have evaluated it and come to your conclusion. Did you have a source for your statement?
Combined with an understanding of the technology involved, executive rule making, and the most probable implementation for liability and profit on the part of the car companies. And this federal mandate will deny citizens abilities to disbale telemetry or the network functions of the car. That is how it will play out.
I agree with your points. I dont know why some people are creepily obsessed with Japan. Many people seem to develop their idealized version of a society in their head and then project that image onto Japan and Japanese people whereas it is far from reality.
1. An incredibly stable society which is at the same time fantastically, amazingly creative. And not just in the traditional arts, which have been wowing Europeans since they first saw Japanese woodcuts in the 19th Century, but in literature, video games, film, fashion, and modern arts as well. Just explosions of creativity with Japan represented as among the best in each area.
2. A society that very strongly values quality, responsibility, safety, nature, and beautiful spaces. I very much wish we were able to build livable cities that were as clean, human-scaled, walkable, and safe as in Japan.
3. Fascinating economy in which massive government deficit spending shows no signs of raising interest rates or inflation. Basically the opposite of what most modern economists expect, as well as the opposite of how most western nations behave. This could be in part due to the strong cultural premium on safety and security by individual households.
4. Historically, the first non-Western nation to industrialize, and to have done so relatively early along its own unique development path.
5. The best restaurants in the world, and Japanese cuisine is wildly popular.
6. Zen Buddhism is popular in the West.
7. A lot of people are fans of Japanese manufacturing and design.
This romanticized view doesn't look at the problems of Japan:
- high suicide and depression rates
- excessive work culture
- irrational fear of foreigners
- widespread addictions: gambling, alcohol, anime, games
- "best restaurants in the world" and being "creative" are just your opinions
Second, it's odd that you feel the need to say negative things about Japan to "counter" someone who points out Japanese achievements. Like, what exactly is your problem with Japan that you are bothered when someone says something positive about it? Has Japan hurt you somehow?
If someone points out the achievements of say, France, do you also feel the need to jump in and point out negative things about France and to minimize their achievements? They also have great cuisine, a great history of excellence in the arts and sciences. Does that statement need to be "countered" with something?
It's odd that you are so aggressively defending Japan.
How is you having an opinion that they have "the best restaurants in the world" an achievement of Japan?
Secondly, if you read the original comment I made, I am agreeing with someone who states that many people develop an idealized concept in their mind and project this image onto Japan.
This appears to be exactly what you have done and my "negative things" I have said are facts well-known I listed to show your points are not conclusive.
Edit: I am amused you edited your comment to try to paint this as an ethnic debate. You are clearly arguing in bad faith and I will not waste my time further.
What are you talking about? Trans people? As far as I know, most trans people, including me, feel that they were born trans, or at least couldn't have chosen not to be trans. When someone transitions, they're not choosing to change their gender—they're changing their appearance to match the gender they already felt they were.
I think the issue goes further than that into being a societal problem.
Majority of America is overweight, staring down at their phones day and night, and dread physical activity. They also like to flex their position and wealth to others, one of the reasons why pickup trucks and big SUVs sell in great numbers. These people are in no hurry to transition to riding bikes.
The only way biking might work is if some popular celebrities on social media or otherwise started doing it, since many Americans just like to imitate what's popular.
I'd suggest starting with bike paths to schools. Kids don't have the problems you mention, they also don't have an alternative when they want to travel independently.
A lot of Americans are morbidly afraid of their children being away from adult supervision for more than a minute. I think suggesting 10 year olds ride a bike instead of taking a car or bus might infuriate more than a few people.
I remember discussion on reddit where people literally called mom neglectful because she refused to have car.
The issue was that she and 4 years old walked 20minutes to preschool and back. That is it, 40 min total walking time was assumed to be beyond 4 years old capabilities.
Well, it's scary, perhaps because drivers are the most likely people to kill your kid. But all the same I was very fortunate to have parents that let me roam free and explore from a young age.
Not irrationally; there are numerous well-publicized incidents, such as child protective services being called for a six-year old playing unsupervised in their own front yard. Or, and I do forget the state (though I think it was Maryland), a state official saying that children under fourteen should never be left alone unsupervised for any length of time. When I was twelve, I babysat my little sister all day and made us hot lunches. Nothing fancy - just your standard packaged noodles or similar - but yeah, I knew how to use a stove safely.
They do imitate it, they do enough to take pictures of themselves and they buy into the sports clothing brands and entertainment. Few actually do regular and consistent exercise.
I think there would be an increase in biking if the celebs did it, but I say this imagining a new generation of Americana growing up watching a bunch of them doing it, not just one or two starting tomorrow and the nation follows suit.
E-scooters might be a way in. They're not as fast or as safe (to the rider), but they're practical in way e-bikes aren't due to portability. You can carry one into the office and charge it under your desk. And they lack the cultural baggage of cycling. And it's possible to look suave on one in a way that bicycles make difficult.
They're horrifically expensive, but something like an electric brompton as most of those same advantages. You can also usually take them on a bus or train.
I'd disagree on the looking suave bit, it might just be because so many riders are clueless (and this perception being reenforced by selection bias), but someone on an escooter always looks far sillier to me than someone on a dutch style or folding bike, or even someone in lycra.
It's a little rich to criticise on grounds of cost and then suggest an electric brompton in the same breath - they're nearly 10 times as expensive as the cheapest bikes/e-scooters. You can spend that much on an e-scooter, but you don't need to. E-scooters are about as affordable as bicycles.
Regarding lycra - we can disagree on whether you look suave while riding, but a huge advantage of the e-scooter is that you don't need special clothing - don't even need to tuck your pants leg into your sock. You wouldn't turn up to a date clad in lycra - but you can ride an e-scooter to one.
> It's a little rich to criticise on grounds of cost and then suggest an electric brompton in the same breath.
Apologies, I was trying to say that the brompton was the horrifically expensive option.
Upsides is they are a bit better for carrying cargo, can handle slightly rougher terrain, are a little more comfortable at long range and are a little more compact than the more capable escooters.
Both have their place, I was just trying to mention another option that hadn't been included.
A lot of it is also the American public being selfish and inconsiderate of others. Even at a low wage, I'm sure the job would be more bearable and perhaps even enjoyable if the employees were not treated so poorly by the public and their coworkers.
If someone is intent on committing crime. Say a serial killer who has killed many people, then while incarcerated continues attempting to attack and kill guards and other inmates, you would say this person should not be killed? I feel that your view is not realistic. The goal of executing criminals is not to punish them like "haha, we got you", it's to physically prevent them from continuing to cause chaos.
In high security and solitary confinement there are guards that will have to deal with them, and the inmates are afforded rights like visitation or recreation where they can gain contraband, make shanks, extort and assault inmates and other guards.
Inmates will pretend to or legitimately damage the cell or themselves to get guard attention and then assault the guards.
Study these issues further and you will find it's not simply a matter of putting someone in a single cell by themselves and now that's it, they can never harm anyone again.
There are elaborate criminal schemes that occur inside of correctional institutions.
Eventually, society will have exhausted every recourse in attempting to accommodate this person, and I say not to be sarcastic, but to present you something to think about, would you welcome a known serial killer into your home since you are so against killing them and there's no place left to put them? How much do you expect others to suffer and sacrifice for one criminal and your own perceived social justice?
- It doesnt use breathalyzers, it uses safety systems similar as those for cruise control.
- It would be installed at the factory by manufacturers.
- It would be mandated by 2026, no different than how other basic vehicle safety equipment has been mandated for vehicles over time: seatbelts, airbags, reverse cams, third brake light, and so on.