The Uber Nannies in the European Union have now turned their gimlet eye on motorists, according to a new report from Forbes.
And in typical bureaucrat-knows-all fashion the legislative ‘solution’ is going to be expensive and pointless. The new law “will require all new vehicles put on the market to be equipped with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology. The devices can use sign-recognition video cameras or GPS-linked data to automatically limit the speed of a vehicle. They do so by limiting the engine power to prevent the vehicle from accelerating past the limit, rather than by throwing on the brakes.”
Well, we guess that’s something. If forced to, we could trade molasses-like acceleration for whiplash any day.
The European version of the Ford Focus already has speed-nanny technology installed. It’s nice that some auto manufacturer will make money from the law, because when the use of speed limiters becomes mandatory it will kill the market for high-performance cars.
Who wants to spend $363,730.00 for a Ferrari 812 Superfast when it drives just like a Nissan cube?
Surprisingly enough even the we-know-what’s-best-for-you crowd in the European Parliament realized there might be blowback from the motoring public.
Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein the author of the take the fun out of driving bill admitted, “The discussions in committee have been difficult, there’s even division within political groups, it’s emotional…Drivers always worry about freedoms being taken away…”
The justification for Big Brother in the Dashboard is always “safety.” The European Transport Safety Council claims, “ISA is probably the single most effective new vehicle safety technology currently available in terms of its life-saving potential. With mass adoption and use, ISA is expected to reduce collisions by 30 percent and deaths by 20 percent.”
But “safety” wasn’t a strong enough reason to make use of the speed limiter mandatory. The EU instead decided on a compromise that renders the legislation mostly useless. The compromise “would allow drivers to disable the devices if they so choose.” We predict most will “choose.”
Just to be clear, this means drivers who purchase new cars are going to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for technology they don’t want and most of them won’t use. It’s like going into a restaurant for a hamburger and being informed you must order the filet mignon with drinks, appetizer, and dessert, but you don’t have to eat it.
This legislation alone should convince UK drivers that Brexit can’t come soon enough for them.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian’s Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)." Read more of Michael Shannon's reports — Go Here Now.