Big Brother in the boot

[Oldie]

Here are some extracts from an article in the Daily Mail (Tuesday, April 8,2003).



'Big Brother' in the boot that will stop drivers speeding.

Cars are to be fitted with electronic devices that will automatically keep drivers within the speed limit in trials costing £2million.

If successful, manufacturers could be ordered to fit the 'black box' limiters costing between £100 and £200 to all new cars within the decade. ...



... The system - which could eventually make speed cameras redundant - is known as Intelligent Speed Adaption and works in a similar way to in-car satellite navigation systems. ...



We should be OK for a while if TomTom are doing the software

[Oldie]

A bit more to get you going

'The Government is backing the two-year experiment by Leeds University and the motor industry research body, MIRA, which will involve up to 20 Skoda Fabia cars.

Each Skoda has a small computer unit in the boot which carries in its memory a digital road map showing the limits on all roads in Leeds, as well as on motorways around the UK.

A satellite positioning system tells the computer where the car is at all times.

When a vehicle drives into an area where the speed limit drops from, say, 40mph to 30 mph, a signal is sent to a device which controls the engine management system, preventing the speed from rising above the legal limit.

The driver hears a 'beep' when the limit changes and can see a warning on the electronic map on the dashboard.

The system detects whether the driver is responding to the new limit. If not, the car will begin braking automatically some 300 yards before the 30mph sign.

Drivers taking part in the trial will be able to override the system in an emergency, for example to accelerate out of danger.

It is not known, however, if an override would be included if the device was approved for general use.'



and there is more in the newspaper article on page 33.

[Dave]

My initial instinct was to laugh my head off. I really can't see that the government would be able to do this. Would they then retro fit all road cars that hit the MOT ?



It sure is one way of getting people to stick to the limits, and I must admit with the amount of police speed traps on the roads at the moment, I wouldn't mind a delimiter, but I really can't see them doing it. I do like the bit about using Skoda's though

[MikeB]

I checked the date of the post as well.



This sounds like yet another ludicrous scheme dreamt up by buraucrats who dont live in the real world.



As for the testing side of things anyone knows that a Skoda can't break a speedlimit other than by rolling downhill.



On a more serious note. Isnt it strange that we keep presenting technical solutions to social issues. What happens when the technology fails? Does all traffic come to a standstill (Failsafe) or do we all have unrestricted access to speeding?
_________________
Mike Barrett
Editor, PocketGPSWorld.com

[Dave]

Sorry, misread buraucrats as "bloody b*****ds who run our country"



The thing is easily installed, then many people are going to de-install it. The only way they'd get this to work is to build the algorithms and sensors into the onboard computer which would mean only main dealers or the manufacturers would be able to disable them. The problem there is they could only do it on new cars!   I was thinking the other day that it really is time for delimiters (manual ones) to be fitted to newly manufacturered cars, that way when you hit a road with tons of speed traps, you can set your speed to 5mph under and there's no way it will go above this. One of the new Truvelo digital Gatso cameras they've installed in Southampton (which truly scares me) is on a hill, facing you as you drive up it. Now as you have to drive up the hill, you need to accelerate. Try keeping your speed on a very steap hill under 30! It's very nearly impossible. The worst thing is it's facing you, so as soon as you see it, it's got you. That's the scary bit!

[Tim Buxton]

Mike,



>> As for the testing side of things anyone knows that a Skoda can't break a speedlimit other than by rolling downhill. <<



I saw an article in one of our local papers this evening about a driver who was fined for speeding at 48mph down a hill. His excuse was that the hill was too steep and he couldn't stay within the 30mph limit without using the brakes!! Perhaps these big brother boxes can't come too soon.




_________________
Tim

[Dave]

On the Safety Camera Database there are lots of entries along the A31 and down into Bournemouth and Poole. There are no GATSO's here, but they are all frequent mobile sites, anything from once every other day to once every 2 weeks, and each site is always when you come round a fast bend, or go into a dip and as soon as you come out of the dip they get you. If I didn't have the camera warnings reminding me to slow down at these locations, I'm sure I'd have a nice piccy of my car!

[SJTaylor]

"Would they then retro fit all road cars that hit the MOT ?"



Nope, they didn't require the retrofit of seatbelts. I expect "classic" cars will become more popular.



A more useful device would be a machine which immobilises the car whilst the driver is applying make-up. Or perhaps one that electrocutes noisy kids in the back seat. Or maybe even one which stops 4x4s going anywhere near a school between 8 and 9 am and 3 and 4 pm.

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