Tucker Carlson decided to swap out his American-made pickup after spotting a terrifying warning.
Carlson is a noted fan of Chevrolets, saying he’s ‘always had’ the brand, even having expressed his love of 1987 Silverado with no electronics last year.
During a recent interview, the conservative commentator said he was filling his Chevy truck’s gas tank when a startling message flashed across the infotainment screen.
‘All of a sudden at a gas station, it says, “Stop, we’re downloading information from the internet,”‘ he claimed in during an interview with gearhead Casey Putsch.
‘I sold the car immediately. I brought it back and sold it.’
The disturbing claim follows reports of auto manufacturers sharing data with brokers and insurance companies.
A New York Times investigation revealed that several major brands — including GM, Chevy’s parent company — were tracking driver habits deemed unsafe.
The data sold included braking performance, sharp turn frequency, speed, and even vehicle location.
Vehicle insurance companies are facing numerous business headwinds.
Cars are more expensive to insure because they’re selling at record high prices, drivers are getting a record number of accidents, and natural disasters have wrecked cars at an increasing clip.
All those factors made vehicle insurance the most inflation-prone industry in the US last year.
It’s also inspired troves of anger at the providers.
‘They want all your data to provide to insurance companies to wreck your life, I’m sure,’ Putsch responded.
‘Insurance companies will be the downfall of cars and driving. I can guarantee it.’
Carlson’s claims would be a terrifying if true. But the media personality has a well-documented history in peddling falsehoods about private companies.
The men then rumbled down a conspiratorial path, alleging that nefarious actors would forcibly implement dashcams to monitor drivers.
What is Tucker Carlson’s Daily Driver? A 1987 Chevy Silverado.
“There are no electronics in this. There’s no air conditioning, there’s no radio, and there’s no way for the government to turn off my engine if I’m disobedient.”@TuckerCarlson pic.twitter.com/AloJaIaubz
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) August 5, 2024
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‘What happens when [dashcams] are required in every single car,’ Putsch said.
‘What happens when you’re completely mandated control? Car shuts off at exactly 55 mph speed limit, no matter what.’
The conversation appears to be referencing a Biden-era National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) endorsement of Intelligent Speed Assistance.
Officials at the NHTSA wanted vehicles to implement the technology that would ‘provide visual or audible alerts when the speed limit is exceeded, but the driver can decide how to react.’
