Modern cars are often referred to as “computers on wheels.” It has automated driver assistance systems, a large display screen, internet connectivity, and multiple ways to sync with your smartphone.
But in the rush to innovate and beat competitors with newer technology, things may have gone too far. While some developments have made driving safer, others have veered into over-the-top technology that can actually harm drivers. The current generation of cars is expensive to repair, difficult to understand and operate, and more likely to be distracting and demotivating to drivers, some experts say.
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And a report released last week suggests that some new vehicle technologies also pose a major threat to data privacy. The new report, published by the Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on the Internet, finds that today’s high-tech vehicles are among the worst categories ever studied by the organization when it comes to handling users’ personal information. We conclude that it is a consumer product. Jen Kaltrider, director of Mozilla’s privacy reporting program, said cars have “evolved into a privacy nightmare.” Modern vehicles incorporate motion sensors, pressure sensors, GPS, cameras, microphones, and smartphone connectivity, allowing them to collect an incredible range of information about drivers and passengers. Researchers evaluated the privacy policies of 25 popular brands and found that 21 of them allow car companies to share or sell customer data with external service providers, data brokers and other companies. did. The privacy policies for his two brands, Kia and Nissan, even include a clause stating that each company may collect and disclose data about its users’ sexual orientation and sexual behavior.
It’s unclear if and how these automakers will do such a thing. “Kia Motors does not and has never collected any ‘sex life or sexual orientation’ information from vehicles or consumers in connection with the provision of the Kia Connect Service,” Kia Motors said in a statement. Spokesman James Bell said. The brand added that its privacy policy includes categories that define “sensitive personal information” under the California Consumer Privacy Act. Nissan spokesman Brian Brockman similarly said, “Nissan does not knowingly collect or disclose consumer information about sexual activity or sexual orientation,” and state laws such as California require that location information, etc. It added that it requires the company to disclose inadvertent information that could be inferred from other data. Tracking.
Still, permissive policies are a concern, regardless of how they’re currently applied, Kaltreider said. Such information can be used against vulnerable people. For example, several car brands’ policies advise that they may share customer data with U.S. law enforcement and government officials without a warrant. In some countries with restrictive health laws, these tracking data could be used as legal evidence against people seeking abortions or gender-affirming care. This sensitive customer data is also a target for illegal attacks. According to a Mozilla report, 17 out of 25 car companies have experienced some form of data leak, breach, or hack in the past three years. Lack of data privacy is one of those things that often doesn’t seem like a problem until it becomes a reality, Kaltrider said. “It may not affect you now, but you don’t know when it will suddenly happen and you may not have the choice or control over it,” she added. Change is likely to come only at the policy level, Kaltrider said. However, there is no federal data privacy law, and only a handful of states give residents the right to delete their data upon request.
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Privacy isn’t the only thing drivers need to be concerned about. The Mozilla Foundation report’s findings are just the latest in a series of concerns experts have expressed about the technology in our personal vehicles.
The actual cost of a high-tech car has many facets, but one factor boils down to dollars and cents in a very direct way. Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations at the American Automobile Association (AAA), said repairs on cars equipped with advanced driver-assistance technology and other intensive computerized features require such It says it can cost up to three times more than similar maintenance on vehicles without the technology. ). Moreover, not all shops are equipped to repair such vehicles. For example, replacing a windshield “used to be a very simple task,” Brannon says. However, many vehicles now require special glass to allow internal cameras to function. On these cars, the camera must be recalibrated after the windshield is installed, adding another step to the process. These cameras enable several driver assistance features with obvious safety benefits. Automatic emergency braking, which has been tested and refined over a decade and is now an industry standard for all new vehicles, can significantly reduce crash rates, Brannon said. “But that comes at a cost, especially the costs associated with repairing that car,” he added.
In addition to high repair costs, drivers are often dissatisfied with the high-tech features themselves, reporting frequent problems with components such as complex door handles, infotainment interfaces, and wireless phone chargers. Masu. In Brannon’s view, time will likely resolve some of the additional costs and difficulties for both drivers and repair shops as these types of vehicles become more common. Furthermore, it is difficult to put a price on improved safety. But Brannon insists it’s not all new features and vehicle design. teeth Increases overall safety.
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“There’s often a gap between what these systems sell, both in naming and advertising, and what real-world systems actually do,” he says. “The gap between these two creates a very dangerous situation for someone.” [who] It doesn’t take long to understand the system. ” Brannon cites examples of partially automated features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. Both require the driver to be ultimately in control of the vehicle and constantly monitor the road. But Brannon said these features may come with terms like “traffic-aware cruise control” or “active steering assist,” meaning humans can offload much of the work to the car. It is said that it may be implied. Worst of all, Tesla’s suite of assistance features are labeled as “autopilot” or “full self-driving,” even though those features don’t actually do what they sound like. It is. Last year, California passed a law forcing Tesla to adjust these names to be less misleading. Tesla did not respond to repeated emails seeking comment for this article.
New car owners rarely receive training on how and when to properly deploy these partially automated features. As a result, “many drivers and other road users have a poor understanding of what this technology is for, how it works, and its limitations,” according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. said William Hawley, his director of technology. The nonprofit division of AAA. Some of these features are intended to be used only in specific scenarios, such as highways, and not in more complex urban environments.
Lack of training can have unintended consequences, Hawley says. Some research suggests that as driver assistance advances, human drivers become more disengaged. If people believe their cars can perform many of the driving processes automatically, they’re more likely to check out and multitask, potentially causing accidents, Hawley and Brannon said. says.
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Other features can also compromise safety through improper design. The biggest culprit, some experts say, is the irregular, layered, touchscreen-based interface that takes over the consoles of newer cars. In recent years, these displays have gotten larger and include more components, said David Strayer, an applied cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah who studies driver behavior. “There is more information that drivers should be paying attention to,” Strayer explains. As information increases, so does attention span. He says taking your eyes off the road for more than two seconds increases the risk of a crash. Many cars allow the driver to enter his GPS directions, dictate text or complex commands via Bluetooth, or operate a touchscreen to manage basic functions while the vehicle is in motion. can do. Some consoles also display video. All of these features can occupy the driver’s attention for far longer than is safe.
We all generally know that texting while driving is bad. But when it comes to built-in features, drivers tend to think, “If it’s in the car, it’s safe, well-tested, and should work, so it must be there.” says Strayer. But he points out that this is often not the case. “We have not prioritized safety,” Strayer added.
Brannon agrees. “There’s a point where you cross the threshold of benefit and you fall into disadvantage. There’s no question about that,” he says. Some industry research has demonstrated that old-fashioned tactile knobs and buttons are a much safer, simpler, and easier to modify alternative to touch screens and voice commands. But going back to buttons means acknowledging that ever-evolving technology isn’t always the best solution.
