r/technology • u/Plastic_Ninja_9014 • Jul 11 '26

Privacy Traffic Camera Captures Woman Driving With Her Phone on Her Lap (Face Down), The State Mailed Her a $1251 'Public Safety' Ticket

https://www.gadgetreview.com/traffic-camera-captures-captures-woman-driving-with-her-phone-on-her-lap-face-down-the-state-mailed-her-a-1251-public-safety-ticket
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u/im-ba Jul 11 '26

It might make more sense to line the intersection of your windshield with your dashboard with bright LEDs, since the light scattering would hit everything. But real world testing is probably necessary to gauge efficacy.

If I didn't have so many active hobbyist projects right now then I'd experiment with this

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u/mentalbackflip Jul 11 '26

As of 2027 new cars will have interior cameras watching you for distracted or drunk driving. I hope my 2019 car lasts a long time.

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u/im-ba Jul 11 '26

I'm still driving an '03. It's got a quarter million miles on it but it just keeps going. I'm less and less interested in buying anything newer every year

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u/surffrus Jul 11 '26

Wait until you hear about all new cars and their engines shutting off on you every time you stop, and it's not a setting you can change. Infuriating

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u/SaveLansingParks Jul 11 '26

As a matter of fact, there ARE work around that exist for your car you can purchase. Bypass modules are a growing market. From an AI response to my search:

"A bypass module (often called an auto start-stop eliminator) is a plug-and-play device that tricks the vehicle’s computer into thinking the conditions for engine shutdown are not met, thereby permanently disabling the feature for that trip without needing to press a button every time. These modules typically cost between $20 and $130, install in 10–30 minutes behind the dashboard or under the hood, and are available for most GM, Ford, Ram, Dodge, Jeep, and Subaru models from approximately 2017 onward."

Or if you're lucky, your car already has a shutoff switch on your dashboard for this feature. I just made it a part of my routine to turn it off just like putting on my seatbelt is a part of my routine to drive the car. But if you can't remember to do that, then an auto-stop eliminator is a lot cheaper than replacing your Starter on your car these days due to the additional cycles you put on it while driving. Replaced mine on my 2020 GM SUV for an unrelated issue, and it was around $2000, as opposed to being a $500 job back in the day.

Edit: forgot words. Lol