The more that time passes, the more reality resembles a Philip K Dick novel, where you have to pay money to open a door and cereal boxes and newspapers (read "internet") had animations that tried to push product. PKD's satire on consumerism sure is turning uncomfortably prescient.

I'm expecting some kind of crescendo of insanity until we finally hit the reset button.

I wonder what the going rate would be to deploy airbags at the point of impact.

I suppose the challenge would be getting consent in-between the crash becoming inevitable and actually happening

This is starting to sound like a dystopian cyberpunk world.

"Our car tried to deploy the airbags, but the customers credit card was declined"

Although to make it even more futuristic, we could replace "credit card" with "crypto wallet"

"Please deposit some $BMWTKN to your wallet or sell one of your cars microservices in order for the window-wipers to work again.[...] We detected that your rear-view camera was sold, window-wipers are now activated again."

it will be more like they'll sellout your non-functional airbag and taillight status to cops and get them in on the scam. and of course if you cant pay it all then kids, it'll always end with kids ending up in state's care.

Didn't this already happen with some motorcycle safety system that required a monthly payment or it would get disabled?

Is this subscription safety vest what you are thinking of?

https://www.inputmag.com/tech/this-motorcycle-airbag-vest-de...