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Mandatory "Vehicle-to-Vehicle" Communications Coming To U.S. Cars

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Submitted by Mike Krieger of Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

The vision of ‘talking’ cars that avoid crashes is well on the way to becoming a reality. And we’re not just talking about cars talking to cars, but about cars talking to bikes, trucks talking to motorcycles, and even buses talking to pedestrians. This promises to significantly reduce the number of deaths and injuries on our nation’s roads while unleashing a new wave of innovation from advanced traffic management systems and smart mobility apps to real-time traffic, transit and parking information.

 

- Scott Belcher, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America

Worried about “pre-crime?” What about “pre-crash?”

The geniuses at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTS) are so concerned about your “safety,” they have decided to take it into their own hands and make it mandatory that your car wirelessly communicate with other vehicles on the road. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx went so far as to say the technology could save “thousands of lives and even prevent accidents in the first place.” The concept of “pre-crash” has been born.

As in so many other aspects of life, there is a top down push to remove all control from the individual to the collective (recall the MSNBC host who proclaimed children don’t belong to their parents), typically justified within the content of the “war on terror,” and always justified with “it’s for your own good.” Apparently, we aren’t capable of making our own choices in anything any more, including something as simple as driving a car.

This push to exert control within individual vehicles is nothing new and appears to be a global phenomenon.  For instance, just last week I posted an article titled: The EU May Mandate a “Remote Stopping Device” in All Cars for Police Use.

Now we learn from The Detroit News that:

Washington— The U.S. Transportation Department said Monday it plans to propose requiring all new cars and trucks to eventually communicate with one another, which could one day help reduce up to 80 percent of crash deaths.

 

But under the tentative timetable laid out, automakers aren’t likely to be required to install the in-vehicle communication devices until around 2020 — and even then, the devices will be phased in.

 

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will begin working on a proposal to require vehicle-to-vehicle communication in future cars and trucks. He said he hopes to propose the regulation by the time the Obama administration leaves office in January 2017. NHTSA gives automakers at least 18 months of lead time before mandating new technology.

 

Foxx said at a news conference the technology could save “thousands of lives and even prevent accidents in the first place.”

 

Acting NHTSA chief David Friedman said the technology is a “game changer” and “nothing short of revolutionary.”

Um, sorry but if this is such a “gamer changer” and “revolutionary” why not just put it out there and see if the market adopts it. If it is as wonderful as Mr. Friedman claims, why does it need to be mandatory. No one made Bitcoin mandatory, yet it is being adopted because it genuinely is revolutionary. This guy’s statement is completely idiotic.

But major challenges need to be addressed: including ensuring that the devices would be secure — to prevent hackers couldn’t take control of the signals.

Hahaha, ok good luck with that. Just ask Target for some tips.

NHTSA also expects to decide soon whether to require future cars to have active collision avoidance systems — like automatic braking that halts a vehicle about to strike a stopped vehicle in front of it. Those systems are currently on many luxury cars.

Yeah, what could go wrong…

Greg Winfree, assistant secretary for Research and Technology, said some automakers are already researching how they could tie together vehicle-to-vehicle systems and automatic braking. Future systems would also include cars talking to sensors embedded in highways. A car could alert a highway sign that the roads were icy — and the sign could flash a warning to drivers, Winfree said. “This a technological first step,” Winfree said.

Kill me.

Scott Belcher, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, the nation’s largest association representing the transportation and technology communities including major automakers and suppliers, praised the announcement.

 

“The vision of ‘talking’ cars that avoid crashes is well on the way to becoming a reality. And we’re not just talking about cars talking to cars, but about cars talking to bikes, trucks talking to motorcycles, and even buses talking to pedestrians. This promises to significantly reduce the number of deaths and injuries on our nation’s roads while unleashing a new wave of innovation from advanced traffic management systems and smart mobility apps to real-time traffic, transit and parking information,” he said.

Of course he praises it, he is probably set to make a fortune from this mandatory gulag car network.

Full article here.

 

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Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:45 | 4402713 alien-IQ
alien-IQ's picture

This news would have driven Steve McQueen to suicide.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:46 | 4402715 chump666
chump666's picture

While nature sh*ts on us with a snowstorm, flood or forest fire.  Useless junk technology which doesn't help humanity at all.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:48 | 4402723 Bagbalm
Bagbalm's picture

They will first prohibit manual cars on the expressways - then in urban centers - then everywhere on a public street. Your 1957 Chevy will be trailered to a show and driven on private property only.

Just one more step to make it so expensive the peasants are forced off the roads.

Like all utopean dreams this complex problem will not be nearly as easy to fix as they think.

Also, if somebody steps in front of my car and points a pistol at me to car-jack me I don't want the onboard radar keeping me from running him over. Nor if a gang starts busting out my windows to get in to me do I want it to refuse to run the red light.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:38 | 4402861 Rukeysers Ghost
Rukeysers Ghost's picture

They will first prohibit manual cars on the expressways - then in urban centers - then everywhere on a public street. Your 1957 Chevy will be trailered to a show and driven on private property only.

 

Won't happen. The collector car hobby is strong and very well funded. If the govt' tries to outlaw classics from the streets, there will be large vintage car demonstrations similar to what was seen in Pennsylvania in the 90's when they tried to institute an emissions policy for older vehicles.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:47 | 4402877 Tall Tom
Tall Tom's picture

This is not the 90s.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:46 | 4402724 Debt Slave
Debt Slave's picture

Rise of the Machines. Won't be long until we have the government's version of - The Terminator. Sobering thought, isn't it?

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 02:23 | 4403024 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

Time for the butlerian jihad to begin in earnest...

ori

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 04:54 | 4403122 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

Zero Hedge has had a recurring theme of SkyNet over the last couple of years.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:32 | 4404590 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

Remember Michael Hastings.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:46 | 4402725 TalkToLind
TalkToLind's picture

Fuck this shit, South America is looking better each day.  And so does Fiat.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:06 | 4402918 Real Estate Geek
Real Estate Geek's picture

Verdad.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 04:56 | 4403124 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

Fiat?  Make up your mind, South America or Italy?

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:00 | 4403128 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

Fiat-the-company moved to the UK and the Netherlands, OldPhart

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 06:38 | 4403182 B2u
B2u's picture

I bailed two years ago.  Life in Panama is awesome.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:47 | 4402727 q99x2
q99x2's picture

Whole thing is collapsing anyhow. For example if any of the 1000s of bridges across the nation collapses while driving across your wireless communications enabled vehicle will not float in the air until emergency units arrive.

The government will own your vehicle. It is best to get out of this hell-hole of a country until the banksters are put into prisons.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 11:27 | 4403955 ZH11
ZH11's picture

The latest Ford Focus, the first worldwide model developed, has wheels designed to accommodate the range of roads encountered across the world.

The roads in the US were deemed to be of the same quality as those in China for design purposes. 

Maybe some of that QE money should have been used on infrastrature?

 

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:48 | 4402735 pitz
pitz's picture

ADS-B and TCAS have been very successful for aircraft, as has been ACARS.  No reason not to extend these sort of systems, made appropriate for the auto environment, to cars.  Its not a conspiracy theory. 

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:54 | 4402753 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

It's not that I don't think this technology could be made to work and probably work very well.  It is that we have an overbearing government who will track the information provided by this technology regardless of whether or not it has been forbidden from doing so. 

 

P.S. Hey NSA:  Fuck you, you limp dick cocksuckers!

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:00 | 4402771 alien-IQ
alien-IQ's picture

Yes. And all meat should come pre-cut in bit size portions so as to eliminate the dangers of steak knives in society.

We must do this...for the children.

And for god sake! We must ban matches and lighters for the are clearly the leading cause of, uh...fire.

Some people are just fucking amazing....

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:43 | 4402838 Dr. Engali
Dr. Engali's picture

Are you sure that's meat?

http://youtu.be/87uBMXdIyjo

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:03 | 4402772 yogibear
yogibear's picture

What are the chances of getting a ticket in an aircraft?  

Eventually the government will install it in autos because self-driving cars are the natural progression.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:32 | 4404602 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

Remote control airliners were used in 9-11.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:50 | 4402746 Cannon Fodder
Cannon Fodder's picture

In a recent conversation with friends, I found myself defending my views against data collection - my concerns over how much we are tracked, how much data is collected on us to the point even if you try, you can't opt out of this crap. My basic premise is data = knowlege = power over you. They just couldn't grasp it. They all think I am looney. People are so fascinated with their toys and gadgets that they joyfully walk into slavery...

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:14 | 4402805 Leaf of Tree
Leaf of Tree's picture

USSA = land of milk and honey, land of the Great White Burger Eater.

USSA = land of mistery, land of the Big Black ....

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:04 | 4403134 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

You need new friends...just sayin'

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:43 | 4403159 Real Estate Banksta
Real Estate Banksta's picture

I've had the same experience when talking to people about the data collection/spying. Responses range from "What can I do about it?" to "I'm not doing anything wrong, so I don't care". When I ask them what happens when that power gets into the wrong hands, say a Hitler type or if the American revolution could have occurred under such surveillance, I get a blank stare and then it's back to the distraction du jour (NFL, reality TV, etc.). It's fu**ing scary.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:36 | 4404608 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

It is already in the wrong hands.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:52 | 4402752 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

    All that devices like these do is distract and dumb down the vehicle driver and his basic driving skills. The first thing I do is turn all that shit off when I get in car loaded with it. I don't mind antilock braking, and traction control in some driving conditions, but the rest of that crap is junk, to generate revenue for automakers.

    When I get in a car I want to drive it. Not eat, fiddle with a bunch of gadgets, or mess with my ishit while doing so.

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:09 | 4402792 Cannon Fodder
Cannon Fodder's picture

As a side gig, I am a paramedic. Over the last 10 years I've noticed the switch from memorizing the street rotations and being able to read a paper map to people using GPS and smart phones to map themselves to calls. They have completely lost the ability to memorize their district or use a real paper map. The point being is that as soon as that technology fails they are totally screwed on being able to find their way to a location....

The same with all this stuff. When the self driving cars stop, people won't have real driving skills. When grocery stores fail people won't know how to mill their own wheat into flour and make thier own sourdough bread. Every day I am becoming more of a Ludite and hating current technology...

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:35 | 4402851 Skateboarder
Skateboarder's picture

It pains me to see perfectly good people completely let go of their sense of direction and delegate that brain function to these little boxes that don't work without electricity. They'll listen to turn-by-turn directions and follow them blindly, never exploring one street over, two streets over, never looking at maps to memorize and know the layout beforehand. They don't give a fuck about maintaining a sense of direction - they really don't. I've driven with people who will listen to the turn-by-turn and take the long-cuts, the cop-ridden streets, the traffic-ridden steets, over the shortcuts and safer ways I have mastered over the years of observation and exploration.

"Thanks man, but let's just go with this thing."

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:56 | 4402991 Rock On Roger
Rock On Roger's picture

All I need is some LSD - oops, I meant a LSD and I can drive to a forty acre spot within the 250,000 sq. mi. jurisdiction in which I live, without a map. But I'm fucked in a city with named streets. But I don't like fucking cities anyway so I stay away. Termites.

I'm having a hard time awaiting the day that I can drop my personal commtrak device over the side of my canoe on some un-named lake and leave that fucking thing behind forever. I've been carrying one everyday since '96. Then I'll grow a great grey beard and paddle the continent.

LSD was good times.

 

Stack On

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 06:00 | 4403153 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

Cannon Fodder, I was a volunteer Ditch Doctor for BLS back in the 80's. Gulf County Flawed?-DUH! Volunteer Ambulance Service.  Friend of mine was Sheriff Al Harrison...anyway he's the one that shot Clyde(?) Melvin resulting in all the metal detectors going up in every courthouse.  (Al wound up in jail his own ass-self for sexual hi-jinks while in oriface).  Did me one good prop, though...after a deputy got shot in the parking lot I couldn't get a ticket in three states no matter what I did. (Wife will attest to a pull over for speeding in Tyndall AFB.)  Did BLS for eight years, all volunteer for Gulf County, and one year of professional in Appalachicola when they switched to a professional company (though I still pulled call for Gulf County).  And, yes, I still have certain calls in my mind everyday.

 

Skateboarder, I hijacked your comment to add to it.

I have an intuitive since of north.  I can point north anywhere, any time, blindfolded and spun...flying, doesn't matter.  I'm kinda freakish in this.  Two years ago my wife and I had our very first vacation ever after 33 years of marriage.  It was three weeks. I rented a car and she decided to add in one of those GPS thingys.  I already had maps of the route, as well as my book of 'WHERE WE ARE GOING ON VACATION" with itenerary, distances, time in travel...normal stuff.

But we got the new-fangled GPS.  So I sat up with it in NYC (a way-point for a few days of sight-seeing) and I figured out how to program it (to a degree).  Our route (over the three weeks) started in Flawed-DUH to visit her relatives...then to Whoreington, DC, FeeltheDeathofya and NYC.  From there I wanted to head north to go through pretty much all the rest of the original 'colonies' with a stop at Plymouth Rock, on to Portland Maine then head up into Montreal, over to Toronto, down to Niagara Falls, and then into a Casino in Detroit, then to Chicago to head home via plane.  A great big loop.

I wanted to make sure that I went into Rhode Island on the way, didn't want to pass up the little states as we went by.  Programmed in a way-point that was in some town in Rhode Island.  No specific address, just the town.

We get to the town, following "Lucy" (as my wife dubbed the bitchy fucking GPS bitch 'recalculating'  'recalculating'...) turn left in 1/4 mile, turn right at the next block, turn right at the next street...

We wound up in an alley in a modest residential area.  "YOU HAVE ARRIVED!"

Looking around, baffled by the miracle of modern technology, we could only laugh.  I can only guess that we were in the geo-center of the town.

 

Oh, Casino in Detroit...um, Greektown.  We were there for a little over an hour.  I came out ahead $150+, bitch came out $1,500+.  Sometimes I hate her.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:53 | 4402892 FredFlintstone
FredFlintstone's picture

Maybe this will help Asians drive.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:36 | 4404616 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

Already happening with airline pilots.

Pilot error fatal crashes.

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:56 | 4402762 yogibear
yogibear's picture

Cops don't need to read your plates anymore. The car tells them all about you. Even your speed.

 

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:58 | 4402763 pupdog1
pupdog1's picture

The citizens not killed-off by Obamacare will be sent to their demeeze by this Kafkatronic happy horsecock.

 

 

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:59 | 4402767 A Lunatic
A Lunatic's picture

I am glad I am getting older and will be dead soon.......

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:14 | 4402806 alien-IQ
alien-IQ's picture

People who say that always live far longer than they expected. It's proof that the universe has a cruel sense of humor.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:00 | 4402768 Kirk2NCC1701
Kirk2NCC1701's picture

Overall costs of car insurance won't go down, but profits will be juiced up, as driving habits may be transferred to insurance company.  They will then tweak your rates.

Annoyingly overcautious and slow Soccer moms in their Subarus will continue to get best rates -- because the insurance companies will overlook the fact that they caused a certain fraction of them, when the frustrated drivers behind them finally gun their cars and pass them.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 11:57 | 4404107 FrankDrakman
FrankDrakman's picture

Here in the Great White North, there are already insurance companies tempting people with lower rates if they put a black box in their car. I'm not going to get one!

Tue, 02/04/2014 - 23:59 | 4402769 Pairadimes
Pairadimes's picture

Here in Texas, we have had vehicle-to-vehicle communication for decades, and it is such a simple system that it only requires a single upraised finger to operate.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:44 | 4403158 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

In California we have a simple, single-digit operated system, too.  It involves a .45 though.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:05 | 4402779 bluskyes
bluskyes's picture

I think this used to be called a CB Radio

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:11 | 4402785 LetThemEatRand
LetThemEatRand's picture

I'm glad Fonz told me to hold on to my '69 280sl.   Thanks, Fonz.  Saw a restored version going for over $100K on ebay.   Mine stays in the garage for a while.  Doesn't run at the moment, but there's no fucking black box.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:09 | 4402793 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

his name was dimeshowmenthatwove...or whiteshadowmovement. and I know he is happy you did.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:13 | 4402798 LetThemEatRand
LetThemEatRand's picture

Mrs. Rand thanks you -- and whiteshadow -- especially.  She loves that barbarous relic.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:11 | 4402801 Dr. Engali
Dr. Engali's picture

I thought I saw him running around here with a new name lately.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:16 | 4402810 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

nah Doc he has been gone for a while. I catch him off of here. He had asked me to pass that on to LTER a while back. This was one dude this place badly misses right about now.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:27 | 4402827 LetThemEatRand
LetThemEatRand's picture

Fonz -- just sent you a picture of the relic shortly after I bought it when I still lived in Denver circa 1994.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:12 | 4402931 IridiumRebel
IridiumRebel's picture

I had a early 80s 300SD. I loved that car. I'm searching for another. They are tough to find now. Fuckin wife made me give it up. I made a wrong turn today and saw a late 60s sedan that was black and restored. Absolutely beautiful.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:28 | 4402830 Dr. Engali
Dr. Engali's picture

Well that sucks. I liked his insight.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:35 | 4402853 LetThemEatRand
LetThemEatRand's picture

When the roaches control the world, sunlight is a sparce commodity.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:07 | 4402786 Leaf of Tree
Leaf of Tree's picture

I feel sorry for the united stateans.

Their "first world"-"empire of the free"-society looks like a prison from where I'm standing.

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:45 | 4403163 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

You're overly harsh.

It's not a prison, it's a 'sheep-pen', nothing to wory about (though the dogs seem to be in cohoots with the sheppard!)

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:10 | 4402795 juicemoney
juicemoney's picture

The only traction control you need is 3 pedals and a functioning brain.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:17 | 4402943 capitallosses
capitallosses's picture

That's why I'm keeping my 911 Turbo forever. Three pedals, none of this new shit to control me.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:13 | 4402802 Millivanilli
Millivanilli's picture

Still waiting for washington d c office cams.   I'd like to see who is turning my reps into prostitutes.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:36 | 4402846 maskone909
maskone909's picture

Wouldnt it be pretty easy for people to sabatoge these sensors?? The ones on te roa and in the cars

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:36 | 4402850 notadouche
notadouche's picture

That would be tolerable if it were mandatory that these "talking cars" were in fact required to fly by 2020 as a packaged deal.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:38 | 4402859 notadouche
notadouche's picture

On the one hand these globalist dicks forwarn of overpopulation then at every turn they come up with schemes that will "help save thousands and thousands of lives"    Talking and acting out of both sides of their mouths.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:15 | 4402942 adr
adr's picture

And which fucking politician has the inside track on the stock of whatever company will produce this latest intrusion on our freedoms.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:44 | 4402870 Gyoza Mimi
Gyoza Mimi's picture

And the average pimple-ridden-D+-grade-BBA-hopeful ZH reader jumped in his chair in fury - oh, no, this is unacceptable, government is intruding on my right to crash into other people!

 

<Q> What about beacons on airplanes? Have you heard that they prevented more than 99.99999999% potential mid-air collisions?

<ZH> Sure, mid-air collisions are bad, but a small price to pay for having no government intrusions. Let market forces work their way to better flying.

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:13 | 4402937 adr
adr's picture

Let's try and make every plane fly the same exact route within three feet of each other andnsee how well the beacons work.

Maybe you missed the video of the Mazda that managed to hit a dummy using the accident avoidance system but did not let a person park in his garage because it kept sensing there was an obstacle in its way.

HFT for cars makes about as much sense for cars as it does for the stock market.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 02:34 | 4403030 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

Those bugs could and would be worked out.  You'd have to work out the NSA and any NSA like entities before I would accept anything remotely resembling anything like this.  And by "work out," I mean get rid of the NSA.  Technologically, given enough energy, self driving cars can be done and done well.  It's simply an engineering problem that the government would need to stay out of. 

 

I can leave a cell phone at home when I leave.  A car if I want to be somewhere in a timely fashion, not so much.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:45 | 4402875 1ifbyland
1ifbyland's picture

This just in...changing your tire size is now a felony.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:52 | 4402876 pupdog1
pupdog1's picture

From WIKI:

"Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) was established in 1991 as a not-for-profit organization to foster the use of advanced technologies in surface transportation systems. It is the leading advocate for the development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the United States."

This is not a technical/engineering society.

"Advocate" = Filthy fucking corporate-to-government lobbyists.

Based in Washington, DC. (I am stunned.)

Reminds me of a former Director of HS who pimped his rape-scan-cams to a trusting and unsuspecting public.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:09 | 4402922 adr
adr's picture

One of the only joys I have is driving my car. I love shifting gears, drifting, and having fun with an automobile. Now they are trying to destroy that.

The insurance industry claims that I should have had three moajor accidents and something like ten minor ones since I began driving. I pay a rate based on a risk matrix that doesn't apply to me. I've never been in an accident, and had five tickets in 17 years. I know how to drive a car.

Why don't they just legislate that everyone drive a sub-compact 75hp piece of crap so boring that nobody will even care if it drives itself.

So this cars talking to cars is supposed to prevent accidents? They can't even make anti-lock brakes work right. Anti-lock brakes only work better in rain. On snow and gravel they cause accidents because the car constantly thinks it is slipping and never stops.

Every new day is more fucking shit that makes me want to go postal.

I'm thankful my car has a switch on the brake controller that lets me disable the anti-lock system. My favorite car of all time was my RX7 with no power steering, anti-lock brakes or any tech of any kind. A simple car that was amazingly maneuverable. 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 13:24 | 4404372 PT
PT's picture

As the cars become more boring, no-one will want to buy them.  Rev-heads will have to get their jollies elsewhere.  Car prices will start to reflect that people don't want them.

But that is all part of the plan.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:21 | 4402948 Spungo
Spungo's picture

I really hope they pass a law to enable remote vehicle shut off. Can you imagine the riots that would happen once hackers figure that shit out and cause gridlock traffic during rush hour?

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:39 | 4402968 gwar5
gwar5's picture

Another day, another reason to leave the USA for good.

They want to do the same thing in Europe so they can stop your car or run it into a tree like they did to the reporter.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 02:35 | 4403031 satoshi911
satoshi911's picture

Where I live people drive and ride every kind of contraption imaginable, just like out of MAD-MAX, and none of it is registered, insured, or licensed.

The world is full of good places.

I don't believe this story, just more blogger-fodder by ZH to keep peoples minds off of AIPAC and the Zionist pillaging of the USA.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:55 | 4403166 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

Welcome to the reality of today's 'Merica "Home of the Free©".  This isn't bullshit.  This is really going on.

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:47 | 4404673 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

Michael Hastings.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 01:56 | 4402989 noless
noless's picture

This is a fucking goldmine for either mechanics/electricians/it or junkyards. Not to mention the facilitators and bureaucrats who get to decide who gets paid.

So my vehicle has an 87 engine on a 62 chassis/frame, what bracket does that lay me at? Do i have to buy the tracking equipment or is it provided? Is the provided equipment manufactured in this country?

Americz

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 02:10 | 4402998 Eastwood Ravine
Eastwood Ravine's picture

I can see it now:

"Because you have unpaid library late fees, your car has been disabled."

 

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 02:59 | 4403053 Professorlocknload
Professorlocknload's picture

Not far fetched. New cars can be shut down now for late payments.

Still, Hugh Hendry had the right idea. Fix a dagger to the center of the steering wheel, pointed toward the driver, and you have a cautious operator.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:47 | 4404679 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

Police State already SWAT teams late library fees.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 03:15 | 4403059 glaucon was right
glaucon was right's picture

One more reason to own a veteran car.

Thank god I cannot afford a new one anyway.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 03:21 | 4403062 basho
basho's picture

hahaha. can't get people to talk to each other so their vechicles will talk to each other. another head up your a** idea. with the econ going down the toilet there won't be too many of these on the road.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 03:57 | 4403085 Dre4dwolf
Dre4dwolf's picture

Who wants all this shit in their car? time to go back to real cars, people should refuse to buy anything made after 1970.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 04:10 | 4403094 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

Can't..."Cash for Clunkers"

Greatest bail-out for used car dealers ever.  And the biggest shafting of the poor ever.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 08:51 | 4403300 Deepskyy
Deepskyy's picture

Oh they still exist, you just have to know how to find them.  While not quite from the 70s, my 1987 Toyota Corolla hatch is a brilliant little bastard.  I can fix anything that breaks, gets great MPGs, and is almost completely devoid of nannies.  Fun little car to drive too!

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 13:28 | 4404382 PT
PT's picture

Make it 1975 for us.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 04:22 | 4403092 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:20 | 4403144 css1971
css1971's picture

This is just a half arsed and expensive way of implementing Personal Rapid Transit.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:37 | 4403155 satoshi911
satoshi911's picture

#1 ZH post today, keep them in dark and feed them bullshit

*

where is the posts on AIPAC, BIS, FED-FIAT to Infinite,... Zionist-Shill politicos... ... YOU know real shit

This article is same-same as yesterdays '911', and last weeks space-alien invasion.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 06:12 | 4403175 quikwit
quikwit's picture

Do feel free to start your own blog to address ZH's alleged deficiencies, where you can write about these topics that interest you.  And post a link to your site here, we'll come by and see if it's worth spending time on your site.  Thanks.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 09:06 | 4403349 shovelhead
shovelhead's picture

It would be a public service to the people who don't have access to a whiney 5 year old to take to the grocery store to throw tantrums in public.

A visit to Satoshi's would fill that need.

Thu, 02/06/2014 - 04:10 | 4407113 satoshi911
satoshi911's picture

A day without fonestar is like a day without coffee.

*

I'm still laughing an hour later after the boris joke about his wife and the flowers and the vase. :)

Thu, 02/06/2014 - 04:08 | 4407110 satoshi911
satoshi911's picture

I did create a site, last year, I don't remember the password, game-over, I find maintaining a site rather boring.

*

I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member, ergo ZH feels like home.

*

A lot of people point out ZH deficiency, and I also point out when they do well.

*

Do you honestly feel this story was relevant to ZH stated goal? I think not. Just saying.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 05:46 | 4403164 Debugas
Debugas's picture

technology that relies on environment to behave in a predefined way is not a safe technology

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 06:07 | 4403173 quikwit
quikwit's picture

We already have a lowered expectation of privacy in our cars compared to our homes, from a Fourth Amendment standpoint.  After this move, gulp.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 06:15 | 4403176 Quinvarius
Quinvarius's picture

All this thing is going to do is automatically give you a speeding ticket and upload it to the court system via wirelessly enabled traffic sign every time you go 5 mph over the limit.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 08:15 | 4403233 css1971
css1971's picture

Why do you think you would be allowed to go over the speed limit?

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 13:34 | 4404394 PT
PT's picture

Duh!  So the grabmint can collect more revenue, double duh!
Of course, you have a point.  The car will be directly connected to your credit card and every time you press the pedal too hard, money will disappear from your credit card even though the car won't actually let you speed.  Another sensor will watch your eyes for pupil dilation and blinking times.  Errant pupil behaviour will automatically cause you to be fined on the grounds of being too tired, being too excited, having too much fun, being distracted etc etc etc.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:51 | 4404700 Lost Word
Lost Word's picture

GPS navigation device already indicates legal speed limit on your road location.

Next step automated vehicle speed limit controlled vehicles.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 06:45 | 4403185 zippy_uk
zippy_uk's picture

"Its a conspiracy" - freedom to drive - nanny state - rubbish.

Its a long over due safty technology which will save lives - possibly yours or your families. Yes there are "big brother" issues but frankly if the Government wants to know where you are going they have access to your phone records where you discussed your plans with family or work and can locate your satnav.

Seriously - here is a good news story dressed up as the end of the world. I expect better from zerohedge. 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 08:04 | 4403228 Marge N Call
Marge N Call's picture

"It's for the children, can someone please think of the children!!!"

You can haz Cheezburger.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 08:34 | 4403262 smacker
smacker's picture

Oh dear.

I'm sure you also supported the Blair Govt obsession with ID Cards ...first introduced by Blunkett as a benign "Entitlement Card" which quickly morphed into an all singing/all dancing full in-your-face-socialist plan to monitor and control everything you do. Of course there was no shortage of people wheeled out by the BBC et al who claimed the ID Card would make them "feel safer". Presumably these people assumed that muggers would flash or swipe their ID Card before they mugged them.

And so it is with this new cranky idea. Let's be honest and admit that the real unspoken reason is so that agencies of the state (law enforcement and God knows who else) will have the means to take control of any vehicle fitted with this device, either to bring it to a halt ...or quite the opposite.

Sadly, our governments ignore the lesson that just because doing X is possible using new technology, does not mean that it should be done.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 10:44 | 4403778 FrankDrakman
FrankDrakman's picture

Oh, for pity's sake. This is something people have been dreaming about in North America for years. Unlike the UK or the Continent, we don't think anything of hopping in a car and driving 4, 6, 8 hours for a weekend trip. So it would be awfully nice if we could kick back, read, sleep, etc. while the car droned along at 120 km/h. And, since most US highways are engineered for at least twice the legal limit of 100 km/h, we could even up the speed to 150 km/h, shortening those trips.

In large cities, where the highways are jammed during rush hours, such systems might make it possible to move at a much faster pace, which actually reduces air pollution and gas usage (when you're doing 0 mph, as is often the case during rush hour, you're getting 0 mpg and infinite pollution per mile).

Could it be abused? Absolutely, IF YOU MAKE IT A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM. But if you make it decentralized, like the intertubes, it's much harder.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 11:55 | 4404106 zippy_uk
zippy_uk's picture

Or even to the south of France from the UK.

What is  the matter with these people - as you rightly point out - no need even for centalised systems.

- Wearable tech to put on your child which approaching cars can detect and stop if they run in to the road.

- "Economy drive" navigation for optimal use of petrol/gas saving consumers money

- Intelligent traffic lights that phase optimally to provide faster journey times

- "Fast mode" where maximum speed journey is optimised

- If accidents go down, presumably maximum national speed limits can go up, which also means more optimal goods transportation - productivity gain for our infrastructure.

- Use China's cheap manufacturing to add this in to all our cars and turbo boost our road infrastructure booting our competitiveness and screw over the Middle East oil tryannies by needing less of their overpriced oil

Whats not to like ?

I support less government, protection of privacy, sound money, local democracy and an end to crony capitalism. That does not mean that any government initiative involving technology is wrong or sinister.

There is a word for those who don't understand or oppose technological progress - LUDDITE

This IS a GOOD NEWS Story

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 07:32 | 4403210 automaton
automaton's picture

Technology is great and this technology is no different.  But... I agree... Once the gov deems it mandatory and the "authorities" eventually abuse it, then we'll be f'ed.  No different than any other intro of new technology.  UAVs, or "drones," are wonderful technology if used in an acceptable manner (initial rescue/search or wildfire assessments, mil security in combat zones), but you know it will be abused when the "authorities" utilize it, as we have already seen in ND.  

I would agree that we should let the market determine whether such technology is adopted, but I have nearly as little faith in the people as the gov to make rational decisions.  The masses have proven easily manipulatable.  The informed are few and far between.  And, they will be dismissed by the manipulated masses for being too jaded anyway.  Mandatory or not, I see this vehicle-to-vehicle communication being welcomed by the people and eventually abused by gov/law enforcement.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 08:51 | 4403301 RealityCheque
RealityCheque's picture

Keep your "clunker". Trust me, it's fucking awesome.

Mines an old ford diesel van. Massive MPG and fuck all tech inside it. It will rust beneath me before I buy a new one.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 09:12 | 4403363 shovelhead
shovelhead's picture

Will the Colorado version have a built in bud vaporizer?

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 09:25 | 4403413 giggler321
giggler321's picture

I'm going long old cars that just drive and don't talk...

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 09:56 | 4403536 Downtoolong
Downtoolong's picture

"Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications”

And how long before that also becomes Vehicle to NSA Communications, brought to you by Google?

And how long before pre-crash also refers to that brief moment after you piss either one of them off and they decide to ram you and your car into an overpass pilon from a remote terminal in their secret offices?

I'm not saying all autopilot is bad, I just want a black box recorder to go with it.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 09:50 | 4403540 nink
nink's picture

He knows when you are speading, he knows when you don't break, he knows if you've been bad or good to increase insurance rates.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 09:57 | 4403569 _SILENCER
_SILENCER's picture

The jewel of the article:

Obama administration leaves office in January 2017


Wed, 02/05/2014 - 10:02 | 4403595 aka_ces
aka_ces's picture

Too much innovation for control, too little for freedom.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 11:18 | 4403922 optimator
optimator's picture

The insurance industry better think ahead.  When it will be impossible to have an accident how will they be able to sell insurance?  Ooops, I forgot, auto insurance is mandatory and will stay that way.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 11:16 | 4403923 ZH11
ZH11's picture

Yeah fuck the state!

It's my right in the constitution to die in a needless car accident!

This site is filled with the 'inevitable' need for robots to replace human labour as it's so efficient but when it could be used to help save lives...NANNY STATE!!!

Weird place this.

 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 19:34 | 4405993 Ckierst1
Ckierst1's picture

I prefer that socialist dickheads worry a lot less about "saving" my life and a lot more about them staying out of my life.  They never seem to get the message, irrespective of being from the red party or blue party (no meaningful difference and no meaningful choice).

I haven't gotten to having a grey head by being stupid.  I don't intend to start now.

I'll take my chances with dying in a "needless" car accident in preference to the nanny state causing a Kevorkian car accident.  It's only paranoia if they aren't trying to do you ill!

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 11:17 | 4403925 F em all but 6
F em all but 6's picture

Vehicle to vehicle Communication. Its been here for years. Roll down the window and flip the bird. Even those parties not involved understand.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 12:26 | 4404226 Mi Naem
Mi Naem's picture

Well, at least people can officially stop taking any responsibility for watching where they are going. 

Right now, it's just unofficial as I watch an astounding number of pedestrians step into oncoming traffic without so much as a glance, drivers texting instead of actually driving, etc. 

Maybe we really do need our machines to be smarter than we are, becomes somethimes we're to f'in stupid to walk. 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 13:44 | 4404413 PT
PT's picture

For the 2nd / 3rd time:

You cannot eliminate stupidity.  You cannot bargain with stupidity.  You cannot wrap stupidity in cotton wool (it'll suffocate).
You can't make a fool-proof system because fools are so ingenious. 

And as I told someone else a minute ago, Smeed's Law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smeed's_law

Learn it.  Deal with it. 

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:18 | 4404542 teslaberry
teslaberry's picture

all your car belong to us.

Wed, 02/05/2014 - 18:02 | 4405674 DeusHedge
DeusHedge's picture

you can't let opinion get in the way of progress. Or security in the way of technology.

Thu, 02/06/2014 - 03:58 | 4407101 Alananda
Alananda's picture

Long on pre-1990 passenger vehicles.  Or pre-1980 vehicles, more safely speaking.  Antiques, right?  OK, pre-1970 vehicles, before the NHTSA got it together to deal with Ford's fuel system problems, GM's side-saddle gas tank problems, and Jeep's rollover problems.  Five stars for every new vehicle that talks to each other new vehicle.  Now, that's a new rating for NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)!  Surely the titular head of US DOT reads ZH.

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