The Surveillance State Grows Bigger

With Flock cameras and their competitors, we are now being (illegally, I believe) monitored in most of the places we go via our cars.  

Now, the surveillance state takes another huge step with 

surveillance inside our cars. 

My car was in the shop last week and, as usual, Hatchett Genesis in Wichita, a great dealer, gave us a current year SUV as a loaner. Unfortunately, it was equipped with the new Congress-mandated surveillance system (orange rectangle, below).

In addition to its inability to accurately detect drunkenness, when I wanted to turn right,
I put my right hand on the steering wheel at the 11 o'clock position. That blocked the sensor
with my arm which led to a tone and a scolding message on the display screen (not shown).

It claims to be able to tell if you are impaired by your eye movements. Here's more via AI:

Key Features

Monitoring Mechanisms

• -- Infrared Cameras: These cameras track the driver's eye movement and pupil dilation.
• -- Sensors: Additional sensors monitor head position and reaction patterns.

Functionality

• -- Impairment Detection: The system analyzes data from the cameras and sensors to determine if the driver is impaired.
• Preventive Actions: If impairment is detected, the system can:
  • -- Prevent the car from starting.
  • -- Limit the car's operation, such as reducing speed.

Purpose and Impact

The primary goal of these systems is to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries caused by impaired driving. By integrating this technology into new vehicles, the aim is to create a safer driving environment for everyone on the road.

Just as Flock cameras are wrong 71% of the time leading to wrong imprisonment and wrong arrests (in some cases with guns drawn), this new technology does not work to detect drunkenness:

A 2024 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration review found no commercially available camera system that could reliably estimate blood alcohol or identify alcohol impairment during the driving task; those approaches were still largely in research.

Just like people are being wrongly imprisoned for 30 days (see red link above) by Flock technology (!), think about what this new drunkenness sensor could mean to you: suppose you had a rapidly worsening sick child you want to quickly get to an ER. You get in your car but it won't start because the inaccurate technology mistakes your concerned eye movements for drunkenness!

What happened to America: Land of the free, home of the brave?

There is an election in less than a month. I recommend you find out where the candidates stand on these huge threats to our freedoms and what they propose to do about these issues. Then, vote accordingly. Otherwise, we will end up with a "social credit" authoritarian nation like Red China's.