Currently Ford maintains patents involving vehicle monitoring consisting of but but not limited to the following - Face Scanning, Eye Scanning, Lip Reading, Emotion Sensing, Body Gesture Monitoring & Driving Assessment. Scary?....YES!

It is not yet clear to what degree this type of "monitoring" will permit the external control of vehicles let alone who owns, manages and access that data.  What if such patents interfere or prevent one needing to get to the hospital, work or other important necessity?  What if captured data is accessed and obtains the release of personal conversations.  What if external control of the vehicle results in personal or physical injury to the driver, passengers or others?

Vehicle manufacturers are contending that these patents are to comply with upcoming statute implementation that soon require that "impaired driving prevention technology" be utilized by auto manuracturers.  But such requirements still do not make clear or answer the above questions.

But aside, it is important to note that even a fully approved patent does not protect an auto manufacturer from liability derived from any "Tech Injury" let alone any other form of injury caused by there patent.  Additionally, even such upcoming requirement of installing "impaired driving prevention technology" does not necessarily provide immunity.  any "Tech Injury" or other Injury would need to be analyzed on a case by case basis. 

The law regarding this aspect of technology is aggressively changing and will hopefully become clear in time and limit injury to drivers and others. 

"People v. Tech"