California’s “Cool Cars” law has been controversial ever since its adoption by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last summer… but now things have been kicked up a notch with CARB seemingly sticking to their guns in a shoot out with the police… almost literally.
In a nutshell, the law will require all new cars sold in California starting in 2012 to have a microscopic reflective layer embedded in the windows that will keep the cars from getting so hot in the sun, thereby reducing air conditioner usage and increasing fuel economy while lowering emissions.
The problem: The reflective layer has been shown to interrupt cell phone, GPS, and RFID transmissions, which, in turn, could disrupt the ability of police to track GPS-braceleted criminals, block 911 calls, and stop automated toll booths from tracking toll payers… not to mention screwing up any number of the ever-connected devices that drivers use on a daily basis.
