California Bans ‘Defeat Devices’ Because Privately Owned Self-Driving Cars Are Still Not A Thing

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one who has ever driven on a California freeway, the state has once again been forced to, well, enforce common sense. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 1313 which bans the use of “defeat devices” people use to trick their car’s driver-assistance systems. For what it’s worth, the likes of Amazon and Alibaba have pulled listing for similar devices before, but just as life will always find a way, so will stupidity. 

The bill specifically calls out Level 2 systems and for those of you in the back of the class, Level 2 is not self driving. It’s Tesla’s Autopilot or Ford’s BlueCruise, for example. These typically combine adaptive cruise control with lane centering all while still requiring the driver to be ready and alert to take over. Cars enforce this with driver monitoring systems (DMS), and SB 1313’s definition of DMS is purposefully broad. It covers everything from cameras, torque sensors, pressure sensors — you name it.

We’re talking about steering wheel weights, camera blockers, and any other gadget designed to bypass the DMS. It’s complacency, sold online for forty bucks. Why does humanity’s desire to send a text at 80 mph seem greater than its will to live? 

You may have not even realized these types of devices were a thing, and props to you for that. Steering wheel weights are exactly what they sound like — metal or plastic designed to clip onto your steering wheel. Many Level 2 driver-assistance systems use a torque sensor in the steering column to periodically check if you’re holding on, wanting to feel that tiny bit of resistance. These weights provide that resistance, tricking the car into thinking your hands are on the wheel even when they’re busy doing something you deem as more important, like sleeping behind the wheel. It’s the technological equivalent of putting a brick on the gas pedal, but possibly with the same consequences.

But the arms race of laziness didn’t stop there. As automakers realized that just sensing the steering wheel wasn’t enough, many started to add camera driver awareness systems to watch your eyes and head. Naturally, the aftermarket geniuses responded with more defeat devices. California’s new law is broad in this category, banning anything “specifically designed for, marketed for, or being used for, neutralizing, disabling, or otherwise interfering with a driver monitoring system”. This includes the more obvious things such as camera blockers, but could also extend to potential software manipulation. It’s probably unlikely cops will start confiscating those novelty eyeball glasses, but using them to trick your car’s camera system, like Consumer Reports showed was possible with GM Super Cruise, will absolutely fall under this new policy. If it’s made to fool the car’s nanny cams, California says no bueno.

The law does have some carve outs. Exemptions to services such as repair shops, diagnostic testing equipment, or modifications for the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law is not about repairs or testing — it’s about defeating the system on purpose. And the ban is vertical — you can’t “use, buy, possess, manufacture, sell, or advertise for sale” any of these gizmos. The folks cranking these out on 3D printers and selling them online are now also breaking the law. The penalty for getting caught with one? It’s an infraction — basically a fine. 

Now, while California’s heart is arguably in the right place — good luck spotting these things in the wild. Many defeat devices are designed to be relatively inconspicuous. Enforcing this isn’t going to be as easy as spotting a Carolina squat. Laws don’t usually stop people from doing stupid, dangerous things, but it’s important to have such laws on the books. It can change things like sentencing during other traffic violations or even crash investigations, some of which can include negligent homicide charges. Plus, fine can add up quickly if you’re caught more than once with such devices. You can’t charge a bad driver with using steering wheel weights if you don’t make them illegal in the first place.