In 2022, Congress passed a law, part of a bigger spending package, that mandated the implementation of passive driver monitoring in American authomobiles. See Safety is Coming (March 2022). The main focus of this effort is to diminish impaired driving. There are various cars on the road today that already encourage driver performance.
I recently rented a late-model vehicle. I usually reserve the base models, but am grateful to be upgraded on a reasonably regular basis. I never get a luxury or sports car, but still.
The vehicle I drove in February was a signifiant upgrade (I elect not to share either agency or model). I have had vehicles suggest that I take a breack before. Usually that is because the manufacturer installed a large gas tank mated to high fuel economy, and if the car's range is 400 miles I am likely to drive four or more hours at a time without stopping.
I once made Paradise to almost Wildwood (407 miles) in one leg. Nonetheless, that vehicle thought I should take a break after about 2 hours, before I hit Tallahassee. The recent vehicle in February thought I should take a break in Milton, about 15 miles from Paradise.
I later checked why. That manufacturer is moving toward "analyzing driving patterns," including steering, braking, lane changes, and more. This data is analyzed in search of performance measure and suggests "a break" based on performance.
It does not measure how diffidult it is figure out how to work the tools in their cars, and why air, radio, and windshield wipers cannot operate in a simple manner that does not require touch screens, menus, and more. Hint: make your car simple to drive and we might all be able to keep a better eye on the road.
So, the Halt Drunk Driving Act (part of the "2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act") was passed largely on partisan lines. It requires the
"National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to write new rules requiring automakers to install anti-drunken-driving technology in new cars within five years after passage" (November 2021).
And the clock is ticking. We find ourselves 6 months from the deadline. In January 2026, an effort to repal the Halt act failed, according to Kelley Blue Book). Critics call the effort "a kill switch," and argue that the governmetn will gain the ability to "deactivate all cars remotely." While proponents insist there is no move to disable cars, Kelley asys "the law arguably creates a kill switch."
Kelley represents that the requirement is for monitoring performance, passively detect blood alcohol level," or "detect imparment and prevents or limits vehicle operation." Despite the impending deadline, the "NHTSA hasn't done anything yet."
While the technology is not here to respond to the law's demands, automakers are reportedly striving to build what has been mandated. There are efforts to employ cameras that monitor the driver's eyes and to interpret the smoothness of sterring wheel use. There seems to be consensus (for now) that in-car breathalyzer is not likley in the next iteration, but remains a potential.
That said, there seems to be acceptance that none of this will be reality within the parameters of the HALT act. Various stories about the law suggest that any real potential for implementation is likely 2030 or beyond. Big Brother will be watching, but not as soon as we thought.