Privacy? You donneed no schtinkin' Privacy!

[KaosDad]

The Washington Post reports that a bill requiring black boxes in cars has passed committee.

House Energy and Commerce Committee passes bill to require 'black boxes' in cars

"The measure passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee despite complaints from Republicans that the black boxes, or crash recorders, could violate drivers' privacy and that some of the requirements would cost taxpayers and consumers too much. "

The actual technical specs are being left up to the NHSTA. They will most definily record speed, direction of the vehicle, certain gyrospic data (was it weaving? Did it flip?) and breaking. But what else can be recorded? A GPS system without the screen is small and fairly cheap - so they'll know where you've been. Perhaps there will be a small antenna to detect cell phone transmissions, or maybe it'll just jack in to the hands free Blue Tooth equipment. Who knows? Add in proximity RFID and there's the data for how close you were travelling to the other black box equipped cars.

Oh, heck, let's go a step further....

Stick in a device the size of an iPod with an 80GB drive in it, hide a small camera in the dash board and snap a pic of the driver every 30 seconds - were you eating at the time of the accident? Oh look! You WERE!!! Make it a slightly larger device and just record streaming audio & video!

I could go on, but you all are smart folks - you see the extreams to which this can go.

[Taggure]

Kill switches to shut down the motor down during a chase

You know that it will be hooked into the cars computer.

[gunderwood]

Kill switches to shut down the motor down during a chase

You know that it will be hooked into the cars computer.

Already is...Government Motors calls is On-Star.

[VBshooter]

Amazing what they waste their time and our money on ain't it??? What next a pee pee tax??

[OakRidgeStars]

I guess I'll be keeping my 43 year old car indefinitely.

Drum brakes
No airbags
No 5 mph bumpers
No computer (except for the one in my laptop bag)
No GPS, On Star or satellite radio
No catalytic converter
No state inspection sticker

works for me

[KaosDad]

We were at a friends house. He restores classic MG sportsters - think late 50's. His wife said; "Yep - when teh EMP hits, we'll have some of the only transportation in town."

Dang.

[Diomed]

I predict a thriving gray/black market business in disabling or removing the boxes.

[gunderwood]

I predict a thriving gray/black market business in disabling or removing the boxes.

Need a reset switch or some way to pass the state inspections. Or worse yet, they make it wireless and LE gets the data as soon as they pull you over.

Like most things electronic, disabling is not usually best because it leaves a huge red flag. However, modification so that you are never speeding, etc.

Edit: In case you already didn't know, your air bag sensors already do most of this, but it is limited to a few seconds. They also stop recording upon deployment, but the data is saved for "analysis."

[Vahunter]

Chevy has Onstar and I find it hard to believe that the people who monitor it don't sit around and listen to peoples conversations.

[OakRidgeStars]

Chevy has Onstar and I find it hard to believe that the people who monitor it don't sit around and listen to peoples conversations.

You just might be on to something....

[gunderwood]

I trust a private company more than I trust the government on issue like this. The government makes themselves immune, while a private company is open to all sorts of litigation if this happened. I would expect that they have all sorts of logging and controls to prevent unauthorized listening. That being said, I still don't trust it.

An interesting side note is, can LE get a warrant to tap your OnStar? I.e. get GM to record you or even patch them directly in like the telephone companies do.

[CowboyT]

Older cars are lookin' better and better, aren't they? Any electronic device that "can" be snooped, WILL BE. Someday, I'd love to get something like a '94 to '97 Dodge Cummins 12-valve. No electronics, all mechanical, easy to work on (for a turbodiesel), and reliable as heck too. Oh, and works pretty well with veggie oil if you have a restaurant buddy.

Potential side benefit: the older cars are also often more fuel-efficient. Less "oomph", true, but some of 'em are serious gas sippers, and with gas costing what it does now, that's a good thing. The aforementioned 12-valve Cummins? People have gotten over 18mpg in town and 23mpg highway (unloaded, obviously) with them if they keep their right feet out of 'em.

!VIVAN LOS COCHES VIEJOS!
("LONG LIVE OLD CARS!")

[ss313]

I happen to have a 97 Quad cab, 4x4, longbed, 2500 with a 12V Cummins. It gets 17-18 mpg between around town and 25 on the highway if I keep it at 70 or below. It does have a semi-electronic shift auto trans but it will shift hydraulically with a few modifications. If could get something else to use as a daily driver and keep this it would be a mid 80"s VW Rabbit p/u. Those things got 40-50mpg and they are pretty simple to work on(no electronics). Oh, and I like the fact that if I want to be lost that I can leave my cell phone at home and go for a drive.

Scott

[firstcavapache64]

This kind of stuff is how I convince my wife to let me keep my 1971 Pontiac Lemans. This crap and the fact that the kids love it so much. The only problem with kids is they say things when the wife is riding in it like " hey dad let's do donuts in the back parking lot like we did last time" There is no substitute for a Pontiac 455 and a Sunday afternoon with good weather.

[CowboyT]

Yes, there is. A 426 Hemi would suffice very nicely as well.

But yes, the 455 will most certainly do the trick, too. Hard to find a torquier gas big block than that beast. Now, imagine that same engine twin-turbocharged, Gale Banks Engineering-style!

[zephyp]

Well I drive a modern 1998 Toyota Tacoma pickemup...its got 150K miles and I plan to drive it until the wheels literally fall off...after that I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Maybe hire someone to rebuild me a 60s era muscle car...