The car you buy in 2027 may come with something you never agreed to: a built-in system that monitors your eyes, your alertness, and your behavior behind the wheel. Under Section 24220 of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is required to finalize rules mandating “advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology” in all new passenger vehicles. This is not a proposal. It is federal law already in motion. The safety argument behind this mandate is hard to dismiss. According to NHTSA data, more than 13,000 people were killed in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2021 alone, accounting for nearly a third of all U.S. traffic deaths that year. Alcohol-related crashes cost the American economy approximately $280 billion annually, covering medical expenses, legal proceedings, and lost productivity. The federal government believes this technology can prevent between 9,000 and 10,000 of those deaths every year. But saving lives comes with a cost that goes beyond dollars. As automakers prepare for the rollout, millions of drivers are asking questions that no one in Washington has fully answered yet: Who owns this data? Can it be used against you? And when did your car become a witness?
Hellbound and Down 