"Speed spy" device to use GPS to actively prevent speeding
posted Jul 4th 2005 9:10AM
Whoa, we thought it was already bordering on Big Brotherish when we reported on the US and UK's forays into
using GPS to tax road usage, but this beats
all — the Brits are also trialling a GPS-based device that'll actually step on the brakes if you exceed the speed
limit. The satellite-based system monitors the speed limit at your current location and will either activate the brakes
or cut the accelerator to prevent you from speeding. The Department for Transport says they have no plans to make such
a system mandatory — the incentive will be a discount on the congestion charge, which is now up to £8 a day. Just
remember that if you opt to sell your free will, your vehicle will be severely handicapped when we're all struggling
for survival in post-apocalyptic Mad Max world, k?
[Via slashdot]
Hmm this is dumb. The labour government is continiously taking away our civil liberties. Sometimes you need to speed, especially when over taking. I'd love to think about over taking, and then finding half way past the lorry my car suddenly brakes, to find myself in the wrong lane and unable to overtake. Way to go.
I too would be scared for my security, even if I don't speed.
Moreover, it remains to be seen if the system can be bypassed by putting a tin-foil hat on the GPS antenna...
Christian.
three[cof]hun[cof]dred[argh]&[cof]sixty
erhm, the purpose is to stop people from speeding, so, if you want to overtake someone:
1) that someone would be @40km/h and the speed you need to overtake will not exceed the limit and therefore the car would not brake
2) if you wan't to overtake someone unecessarially the car will brake because the other person is already @ a 'decent' speed, you'll have to hold on and stop thinking you're M. Shoemaker
3) that system could be intelligent and disable the security in case you're in the wrong lane and tell you to return to the correct lane and bla bla bla, highly unlikable lol
what happens if you're in an area that has a passing deal, where you can go fast into oncoming traffic lane, and quickly get past, and the f-er in front of you is incredibly slow?
why don't they just make it so the cars don't go that fast? aka a governor?
A couple of minor points - it is legal to exceed the speed limit to overtake a slowly moving vehicle, how can this system allow for that? Apparently the system can be temporarily overridden in case of emergency, but the extra time required to do this might make any hazzard avoidance impossible.
But anyway, the real issue is erosion of freedom. O.k, so we shouldn't be speeding but the price of a free society is that sometimes people break the rules. If you want no rule breaking then the tradeoff is the loss of a free society. It seems odd to me that people are willing to throw away their personal freedom for what are, in the grand scheme of things, trivial gains.
Anyone who isn't scared of the above damn well ought to be - how long before the database of car movements would be tied into the ID card database? The prospects of these systems on their own is bad enough but when you combine them together it's darnright petrifying.
This isn't scary at all, because it has nothing to do with any database. The same limiter technology is already applied to some vehicles (goods vehicles etc), the only difference is that it's currently fixed to the maximum speed limit and can't change depending on your location.
As for the technical issues (overtaking) I dunno but I suspect they could solve it by allowing you to exceed the speed limit for a certain time - so that as long as you weren't speeding before, no problems in going over for 30 seconds to overtake or to avoid some danger.
Road pricing as a whole, however, is altogether different. As an idea it's sensible (general incentive to reduce road congestion by encouraging off-peak travel; saves introducing smaller separate schemes like London's in every city; allows reduction of motoring charges for people in the country who have no public transport options) although I hope they keep some fuel taxes too as otherwise you lose the environmental incentives which are even more important imo... the problem is the civil liberties issue, which is significant.
I think it would be entirely technically possible to avoid the liberties problem using strong encryption and a 'pay as you go' system (like for phones) so that the government cannot keep tabs on every vehicle movement as a side effect of road pricing, but can still check (via short-distance wireless from e.g. passing patrol car) that you're paid-up and are using a legit gadget.
I also think they wouldn't choose to do this because they'd really rather like to know where everyone is at all times. Hey, maybe this could encourage the paranoid onto public transport, that'd help congestion/environmental problems too. :)
--sam
Well I think that this is a great idea, I heard stuff about this but to hear the government are actively researching into the idea. I know all you Americans savour you’re beloved freedom and anything like this well it just wouldn’t be American. However here we have two good reasons for it.
Firstly when in the country, some use quiet small country roads as shortcuts and rip right through the streets. This is not only annoying and distressful to the residents but also the animals. Further visitors do not go to the country to be subjected to city like behaviour.
Secondly would be what we call the school run, this is where parents collect and drop off their children, it is also where those that have to travel by bus are subjected to the judgment of other drivers. It is an issue that some drive too fast of carelessly when around these areas, for example silly little school girls might be getting picked up by their mental equals boyfriends who can actually drive, hmm.
This is definitely a good idea, it could also be applied in areas where there is an accident; so on a motorway if the emergency services have surrounded an area then a beacon or some kind of message from HQ could slow all drivers when approaching a disaster scene.
There are many applications for this technology, I don’t advocate it for all driving areas but to have it kick-in in the scenarios above I am sure many would not oppose. Except the free-wheeling Americans of course.
Well I think that this is a great idea, I heard stuff about this but to hear the government are actively researching into the idea. I know all you Americans savour you’re beloved freedom and anything like this well it just wouldn’t be American. However here we have two good reasons for it.
Firstly when in the country, some use quiet small country roads as shortcuts and rip right through the streets. This is not only annoying and distressful to the residents but also the animals. Further visitors do not go to the country to be subjected to city like behaviour.
Secondly would be what we call the school run, this is where parents collect and drop off their children, it is also where those that have to travel by bus are subjected to the judgment of other drivers. It is an issue that some drive too fast of carelessly when around these areas, for example silly little school girls might be getting picked up by their mental equals boyfriends who can actually drive, hmm.
This is definitely a good idea, it could also be applied in areas where there is an accident; so on a motorway if the emergency services have surrounded an area then a beacon or some kind of message from HQ could slow all drivers when approaching a disaster scene.
There are many applications for this technology, I don’t advocate it for all driving areas but to have it kick-in in the scenarios above I am sure many would not oppose. Except the free-wheeling Americans of course.
"This isn't scary at all, because it has nothing to do with any database."
They want to add a database as well so they can fine you based on where you drive.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4610755.stm
"Drivers could pay up to £1.34 a mile in "pay-as-you go" road charges under new government plans.
A satellite tracking system would be used to enforce the toll, with prices varying from 2p per mile for driving on a quiet road out of the rush hour to £1.34 for motorways at peak times.
Concerns that the tracking system would lead to the state knowing where people were all the time, would have to be addressed, said Mr Darling. "
maybe you shouldnt have a car that goes up to 240....
if thats where there capping it off, then it makes since...
You have to be pretty bloody naive to think that the government wouldn't use this for monitoring/surveillance purposes....It's the nature of governments, they can't help themselves....The UK already has more survellance cameras per head of population than any other country in the world. Plain and simple this is a frightening Orwelian scenario. What's next; a labotomy at birth to prevent deviant thoughts!
There is a reason why this can see as not a limitation to our civil liberaties. Driving is a privalege not a right first of all. Second of all the general populas are not the best of drivers, humans just don't have enough senses to drive perfectly and are easily distracted. Third of all, following this line of reasoning, when someone speeds it then means you are abusing your privalege, for which you dont have the skills to support.
I really don't want to die cause someone wants to get home 10 minutes earlier and are going 50 over the speed limit.
However, I believe people should be given the benefit of the doubt before hand. So that if you have a spotless driving record, and show the capacity to be a responsible driver with the skills to back it up. You have earned the ability to use the privalege of driving any way you want.
It should be implemented like the breathaliser that is installed on cars of convicted drunk drivers.
Free society should let you be free until you give a reason why you shouldnt be trusted.
Uh yeah, how hard can it be to block a GPS signal. Take the £8 discount and go out a buy some lead/copper foil and create your own tunnel...
Hmm. Now, what if you were driving on some unknown country road? Would there be a "default" speed limit for all unknown roads, or would you just not be able to move at all?
And yeah, I can already think of a million ways to disable this system (tin foil, large hammer, whatever). Personally, I don't think it'll last, or even take off in the first place.
What's the incentive to take up this device if you don't travel in London (since the £8 incentive is purely for the capital)?
Or do we only care if people are speeding in the South East of England?
Sounds like another "classic" from New Labour to me.
I am a bit surprised that the photo has everything in km/h - is this something new since I was last in Britain?
This is totally the wrong direction for driver behaviour and responsibility. Drivers should be encouraged, not discouraged, from making their own sensible speed choices - only they are actually in the situation. We need drivers, not zombies at the wheel.
Not many people know, but most crashes and casualties happen below the speed limits, not above them. Rigid speed limit enforcement is already making drivers feel more that the limit is an "approved safe speed".
This measure will even more make drivers pass responsibility for their speed to the limits and technology. I predict "brick-foot" driving, where the driver just puts his foot to the floor and let's the satallite choose his speed. Anyone think that's a safer option...???
Let's insist on being in control of ourselves. Its not anarchy, its being healthy human beings.