http://www.cars.com/news/stories/111604_storyb_an.jhtml

It'll be easy enough not to buy GM cars, I already do that. But I can see the day when this technology will be required and standard, for the "greater good."

 

Well here's one good thing Arnie has done:

"In August, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law prohibiting rental car companies from using global positioning satellite data to enforce speed and in-state driving restrictions."

I've read stories where people who rented cars were charged a big extra fee because the GPS built in their rental car indicated they had went over the speed limit.

 

Black boxes scare me. I read in my 2004 F150's user manual that my truck has a black box. Maybe I will look into it some more...

 

So in other words, if we don't want tattle tale technology in our vehicles we're going to be forced to drive old. Not everyone wants to deal with that. Thanks for nothing automotive manufactures, including making we the consumers pay for your unwanted crap.

 

The right to privacy laws in Canada in the federal charter restricts the auto companies from installing any device in an auto for sale that will record anything
but the mechanical functions of the vehicle and your desire to exceed the speed limit is considered private personal information .

Only at the request of the buyer can this type of device be installed . I guess all
Gm's to be sold here will have to be device free unless ordered otherwise by the potental customer and will have to be able to be disabled for second owners etc.

As most people do not order but buy from the lot I can not see them getting real popular here.

 

On the other hand that same black box can be used as evidence against some moron that hospitalizes you, as per my experiance. Just another device where not everyone will be happy either way you look at it!

 

as much as i hate to say it, i think those boxs can serve as good, but should be regulated very strictly. but if i ever get a ticket and the cop wasn't even there to see me speed, that box will be comin out, i don't care who says i'm not allowed

 

If you have a "black box", how do you remove/disable it? I dont know if my 96 F-350 has one or not.

 

Sorry buddy, you're WRONG
http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/serv...uthier20040414
Big brother IS watching, here more than anywhere.
I am working to get myself in to vehicles that have no airbags/black boxes.

 

Looks like it's time for everyone to look into a mechanical diesel truck. No black box, no electronics to be zapped by EMP. And if it gets stolen, just file a report like "old diesel truck, --- in colour." Since everyone else is driving a newer car, an old truck shouldn't be hard to find.

I wonder if my Ranger has a black box?

 

Did ANYONE here actually READ the link???? It's long, so I doubt it.

Here is a quick summery.

If you have Air Bags and OBDII on your vehicle, you have the so called 'black box'.
It records in a continuous 5 second loop.
If you wreck your vehicle, the vehicle data for the 5 seconds leading up to the crash (where air bags are deployed) is retrievable.... that's all, they (big brother) are not watching you!!! Stop being paranoid!!!

And NO, you can NOT disable it.

 

One of the most telling quotes:

"We don't want to record someone's whole route," Holloway says. "We're focusing on the last few seconds before an accident. Granted, some people could use that information (in criminal prosecutions or lawsuits), but that is not our concern."

 

Yes, you can disable it and retain Air Bag operation. The system is redundant, and either a sensor or a module can deploy them. The "smart" functions and retained power (a reserve capacitor retains power for 15 minutes in the event vehicle power is lost before the main impact). A wire savy individual could disable it and leave it on the shelf in the garage, while retaining operation of the SIR system including the retained power. Gotta love factory sevice manuals.

 

If it ever comes time that the government is tracking my speed, the first thing I'm going to do is rip that danm thing out of my truck and throw it on the steps of our court house. I didn't ask for someone to be watching my every tap of the gas pedal, or every little turn of my steering wheel. My privacy is that, MINE, not yours, and definantly not the government's. I don't want someone else just waiting for me to go 45.001 in a 45mph zone and tag me with a rediculous ticket. I'll just settle for my privacy and if worst comes to worst, I'll just take a ticket for no 'spy-box' in my truck. I'm going on 17 years old here soon, and with my parents on my back watching everything I do to protect me is enough I will settle for.

 

Ringo : I did not say that the information obtained from a box could not be used in court but that whether or not there is one in your vehicle will be a personal choice .

The implications of them being installed in all vehicles is still being disputed in the house just as there are three challanges to in the courts as to the civil
legallities of Photo Radar in Ont.

These were already turffed once here and sold to BC and AB. and now the Gov. is trying to get around the "expected right to privacy laws" to re-instate the use of them .

Those laws in this country make your car if you are in it just as your home and contrary to popular belief can not even be searched unless an apparent crime or breach of the law is visible on the inside or you are persued from a crime and enter the vehicle .

Another angle that really disturbes the police in Ont. is that as long as i maintain an address in Alberta and my vehicle insurance and registration is there they can not confiscate my radar detector from the trunk or back seat
because they are legal in the province where my vehicles are registered .

There is no such thing on the Traffic laws or Criminal Code that even allows a police officer to stop you and check your credintals unless you have a faulty vehicle or have broken the law . No such thing contrary to popular belief as a routine check.

The only legal stop without cause is for the Ride Program for impared driving check and the program has to be set up with the roadside check stop and all the flashing lights and the RIDE vests etc. A special act of parliment had to be passed to allow the implementation of this program as well .

About 1% of Canadians even bother to read enough to know what their rights are that our Gov. spends billions putting in place and defending against those that would infringe upon them.