Total surveillance in the car

Total surveillance in the car

Since July 6, 2022, total surveillance in the car has been launched. There is a new guard in the cockpit. By the way, this is not voluntary, but mandatory. It may even be that the costs are passed on to the motorist under certain circumstances. This regulation was already launched in the EU two years ago. It has now been implemented on July 6, 2022. New vehicle types are directly confronted with this. An intelligent speed assistant comes into play. The abbreviation for this is: ISA. New vehicles will be equipped with it. Allegedly, there will then be up to 25,000 fewer traffic fatalities in the future, and the number of 140,000 serious injuries is to be reduced as a result. Unfortunately, however, there are also some questions regarding data protection that have so far remained unanswered.

Not only passenger cars, but also buses, vans and trucks will be equipped with them. If type approval is granted earlier, the obligation will apply from July 7, 2024.

How the surveillance works

Different systems are combined, such as speed limiters, cruise control and traffic sign recognition. This is intended to provide support for the driver. The permitted speed is immediately detected and checked. Digital maps, cameras and sensors are used for this purpose. If the driver drives faster than the permitted speed, the system can even reduce the engine's power or switch it off completely until the permitted speed is reached.

In addition, acoustic, haptic and visual signals help the driver if he or she is traveling too fast. The signals then project a warning directly into the field of vision or cause the accelerator pedal to vibrate. The signals can also appear in combination. The brake is only applied by the assistant if adaptive cruise control or automatic emergency braking is installed.

The cost of refitting

Allegedly, no costs for the monitoring system will be passed on to the motorist for the first seven years. After that, however, car manufacturers are allowed to charge additional fees for it. This could work with a subscription, for example.

Surveillance issues

A wide variety of sides are voicing criticism in this regard. Many think that this system has not yet been tested enough and is not mature enough for the market. Whether or not this new assistant really makes traffic safer remains to be seen. For example, if you want to override the system, just press harder on the gas pedal. Alternatively, the system can simply be switched off. However, when the car is started again, the assistant is also reactivated. A safety advantage is not offered with a switched-off system.

The golden future of the assistant

In the future, too, there will be other driving assistants that are to be made mandatory. These mainly concern new cars. This refers to a kind of black box. If the car notices an accident, all the driving data relating to the collision is stored. There will also be an interface for alcohol-sensitive immobilizers. This could be a connected breathalyzer, for example. This immobilizes the car if the driver's levels are too high. Other ideas are:

• Tire pressure monitoring
• Drowsiness warning
• Attention alert
• Reversing assistance
• Emergency lane stop assistant
• Emergency brake assistant

These and other assistants and systems will be expanded in the future. It is still unclear to what extent these systems will affect drivers themselves and what data will actually be collected and passed on.