Live data from Hacker News

Auto Safety Regulators Seek a Driver Mode to Block Apps

mobile.nytimes.com

41–50 of 75 posts

Re: Auto Safety Regulators Seek a Driver Mode to Block Apps

#42

Serious question, in the event that we don't have fatalities from auto accidents, where will the organ donations come from? Will it be a good push for stem cell technology?

Perhaps a not so serious answer, but Larry Niven has a number of science fiction stories based on this concept, which is dubbed organlegging [0]. The one that sticks out in my mind is The Jigsaw Man [1].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organlegging [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jigsaw_Man

Re: Auto Safety Regulators Seek a Driver Mode to Block Apps

#46
post #39
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A good question. From the article, one of the things the guidelines call for is that manufacturers "develop technology to identify when the devices are being used by a driver while driving. That would ensure the limits are placed on drivers and not other vehicle occupants." I bet that if the handset manufacturers were to work with the car manufacturers, they could pretty easily locate the phone to a foot or so with m…

Perhaps they could also call for the manufacturers to "develop technology" to give every driver a pony, while they're at it. It's kind of infuriating to hear from someone who thinks you can just say "develop technology" and then anything will happen.

You seem to be assuming that the NHTSA has no idea how feasible such technology is, and so may be asking for something that is very hard or even impossible.

That's a quite questionable assumption. They almost certainly talked to automobile and smartphone industry experts while developing these guidelines, and know that there are several fairly easy ways to do what they are asking for.

Re: Auto Safety Regulators Seek a Driver Mode to Block Apps

#47
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We can make organ donation an opt-out checkbox.

i dont see why you would not want to be an organ donor, body is just a rental anyway?

Religious beliefs, cryonics. (But then I repeat myself...)

Re: Auto Safety Regulators Seek a Driver Mode to Block Apps

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i dont see why you would not want to be an organ donor, body is just a rental anyway?

I think the parents point is that we have seen in some places (Netherlands?) that a dramatic increase in organ donors happened when they switched from opt-in to opt-out.

In Portugal we have opt-out, while here in Germany it is opt-in, I never understood the decision, exactly because of what you mention.
Post reply on HN