House vote today could help end vehicle ‘kill switch’ mandate

The House today may vote to block enforcement of “kill switch” technology that allows too much remote control of drivers and automobiles.

Specifically, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is leading an amendment to the must-pass omnibus spending bills that repeals the objectionable National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule. The rule originated from Section 24220 of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, calling for a system that can “passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired,” and then “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an impairment is detected.”

That sets a dangerous precedent for government monitoring and control of automobiles and, ultimately, other sectors of American life, explains CEI’s Wayne Crews in a statement supporting the Massie amendment:

“The vehicle ‘kill-switch’ is precisely the kind of overreach that will empower regulatory agencies to manage behavior without votes by elected representatives in Congress or real accountability.

“We must oppose this erosion of civil liberties and not set this precedent for government monitoring of everyday Americans. Kill switch technology will not be confined to one narrow purpose, no matter what its proponents believe or claim.”
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Vehicle kill switches and other horrible things Washington is doing to us from a distance