The brand new European automobile security requirements got here into impact over the summer season, however they have been met with nice indifference, like so many supposedly self-evident technological measures. In any case, bettering highway security has grow to be a broadly endorsed trigger as a result of no person needs to kill, or be killed, in a highway accident. Strengthening autos by means of innovation is an method that dodges all types of debate or dialogue. Nevertheless, behind these seemingly painless measures lies a complete political third rail in regards to the relationship to expertise, which is seen as having all types of powers and being the only real reply to each drawback, even these for which it’s itself accountable.
These new requirements are a working example. Since July 7, all new four-wheeled autos marketed within the European Union have to be outfitted with myriad digital and sensor methods. These embody lane-keeping help, autonomous emergency braking, “clever” velocity adaptation, driver distraction and drowsiness alerts, rear impediment detection and extra.
Vehicles and vehicles may also must cross new, extra demanding crash checks, which is able to trigger them to grow to be heavier, famous the UFC-Que choisir. Whereas it’s unattainable to foretell the influence these measures may have on the probability of accidents, it’s sure that they won’t solely improve vehicles’ vitality consumption, however may also increase their environmental footprint, with extra electronics and screens on board, and subsequently extra water and vitality required to fabricate them, extra metals, uncommon earths, plastics, and so forth. The extent of the advantages is unclear, however the drawbacks are indeniable.
Technological reductionism
This brings us to essentially the most laughable irony of European public policymaking, the place decision-making appears to drag in each instructions directly. Whereas one flooring of the Berlaymont is pedaling laborious for the north, the ground under is furiously steering a course for the south (therefore the central significance of fee spokesmen, whose job it’s to provide you with statements able to convincing us that in actual fact, north and south are roughly in the identical course).
