Tired of Need for Speed-style car chases with spike strips and roadblocks, the European Union may require automakers to install remote engine-stop systems on every new car sold in the region.--------------------
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In a December report to the EU Council recently published by government watchdog Statewatch, the European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services said it would develop a standard to let police disable “cars on the run” without engaging in pursuit. The group “will work on a technological solution that can be a ‘build in standard’ for all cars that enter the European market,” the report said.
We’ve already seen these eye-in-the-sky capabilities from telematics providers such as OnStar, although they will only slow and disable a vehicle after police make a formal request. The EU, according to the report, would hand this control over to police.
The proposal, spurred by the U.K., Netherlands, and Romania, will allow testing of remote stop systems and other technology, such as automatic license plate readers, through at least September 2015. After that point, the EU could issue a proposal that could become yet another mandate for automakers.
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In August, the Daily Mail reported the EU would require speed limiters that would automatically restrict cars to the maximum limit for any given area. While the EU denied it was drafting a formal proposal, it had been running road trials across several countries of what it calls “Intelligent Speed Adaptation,” including a system in which the accelerator pedal would push back once a driver exceeded the posted limit. (We’ve tested similar throttle-limiting “Eco” features in many new cars, and hate all of them for obvious reasons.) Given our country’s gung-ho attitude on spying, we wouldn’t be surprised to see similar proposals fluttering about in secret on Capitol Hill. Reported by Car and Driver 1 day ago.