We came across a recent post on X sharing a claim that starting in 2026, all vehicles in the United States will be required by law to include a mandatory “kill switch” feature. According to the claim, this feature would enable authorities and car manufacturers to disable vehicles remotely.
The claim stems from a 2023 post on X that references a commentary piece published by The Western Journal—a conservative news and political website based in Phoenix, Arizona. The article, titled “Truth About Mandatory ‘Safety Device’ Biden Signed Into Law – This Is the Power Government Wants Over You,” alleges that the legislation will compel car manufacturers to incorporate a “safety device” akin to a remote kill switch. The piece further claims this device could enable the government, law enforcement, and car manufacturers to remotely disable vehicles at their discretion, effectively preventing vehicle use.
The law in question
The U.S. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021, a landmark $1 trillion bipartisan initiative. The legislation aims to maintain and upgrade the nation’s infrastructure, including rebuilding roads, modernising ports, expanding broadband access, and investing in clean energy and water systems.
Among its many provisions, the legislation includes a measure designed to combat drunk driving. It mandates that all new passenger motor vehicles be equipped with “advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology” as standard equipment. This technology is intended to detect and prevent impaired driving, reducing accidents that can lead to injuries, fatalities, and significant property damage.
The inclusion of this requirement has likely fuelled claims that the law would enable authorities or car manufacturers to disable vehicles remotely.
Will the technology enable remote vehicle shutdowns?
In response to earlier claims of a similar nature, automobile experts have clarified that the legislation does not mandate the implementation of a kill switch in vehicles, nor does it grant any third parties, including government officials, access to in-vehicle technology for remotely disabling cars.
The IIJA directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, to finalise the specific technologies that should be implemented to prevent impaired driving within three years. Thereafter, automakers will have two to three years to comply with these standards. As a result, the earliest possible implementation date for the technology is 2026.
The legislation also stipulates that the technology should passively monitor a driver’s behaviour or blood alcohol concentration as the driver operates the vehicle normally, and be capable of preventing or limiting vehicle operation if the driver is impaired.
To develop such technology, the NHTSA has partnered with the nonprofit Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety to create the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program. DADSS offers two methods for detecting blood alcohol concentration levels – via breath and touch. One system measures the driver’s breath through sensors located in the door or on the steering wheel, while the other uses infrared light to detect blood alcohol concentration from the skin when placed on the car’s ignition button or gearshift. If a driver is found to be impaired, the car will start but will prevent the driver from operating the vehicle.
According to Jeffrey Michael, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Injury Research and Policy, who has been involved with the development of this technology, it is considered a preventive device rather than an enforcement tool. As such, the data collected by these systems will not be shared with law enforcement, nor will the technology enable government agencies to remotely control the vehicle.
The Western Journal has since issued a correction to its original article, among others, updating the terminology used to describe the vehicles by replacing the phrase “completely shut down” with “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation”.
Therefore, the claim that starting in 2026, all vehicles in the United States will be required by law to include a mandatory “kill switch” feature—one that would allow authorities and car manufacturers to remotely disable vehicles—is misleading. As a result, we rate this claim as false.
