Monitoring Every Move You Make

Automotive Event Data Recorder

Don’t know how I ever missed this since it should be on the government intrusion check list. We’re all aware airplanes have event data recorders (black boxes) but I wasn’t aware that most cars have them too.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTS) estimates as of 2005 about 64% of light vehicles have event data recorders (EDR’s) and are proposing to have mandatory EDR’s in all passenger vehicles by the end of  2011. Black boxes have been getting installed for twenty years; they just get better every year.

I had no idea. General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Co. are all doing this. NHTS set the most recent rules for data collection in 2006, and is firming up and making adjustments to the rules. Right now each of the car makers’ devices record different data, so this is supposed to standardize them. All the car makers endorse the devices, but some have expressed concern the government may want other data collected by the black boxes, driving up the cost. As we all know, cars already have a hefty price tag.

Well of course the government wants more data and higher cost. Something else to control and cost citizens more, and is why this should be on the government intrusion check list. This is the perfect device to do what the Obama and the Dems want, an idea they’ve floated twice, which is to tax drivers by the mile. The idea is to reduce driving in the name of protecting the environment. Environmental control isn’t about the environment. The key word is control. “Progressives” are big on public transportation. Notice how they’re always advocating for new rail systems no one wants? Notice to they don’t use trains and buses themselves? Those are for “the masses” (hate the phrase). Just watch, Dems will be trying to get a mileage monitor on the black box. Out here in the West, where everything is so spread out, we’ll take a financial pounding. We already do with the current high gas prices. Note too Western states are usually Red States, vote Republican.

Obama and the Dems want high fuel prices. Most famously is Obama’s statement just before announcing his run for the presidency that under his plan, energy costs will necessarily skyrocket.  This may just be another way to ensure this happens. I’m certain that for them EDR’s are not for data collection for safety purposes, but control and taxing purposes.