Cop computers yell "D'oh!" when they spot uninsured drivers

Some Thames Valley, UK cops claim it helps reaction times to have their onboard computer yell out Homer's "D'oh!" when it picks up on uninsured drivers, Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny" from The Shining when a stolen car zips by, and Dan Aykroyd's "People like this are a menace to decent society" for crime-linked cars. No word if this newfound reaction time is negated by an ensuing Simpsons-laced quote fest, punctuated with SNL reminiscence.

[Via Fark]

[Manuel @ Feb 26th 2007 4:30PM]

WTF? I really don´t understand your point...

[Colleen @ Feb 26th 2007 5:10PM]

Right, because Mexicans in the UK are well-known for driving uninsured, stolen, and otherwise crime-linked cars. Genius.

[Enzo @ Feb 26th 2007 3:05PM]

I like cops that much more now.

[macona @ Feb 26th 2007 3:21PM]

I am curious how they can tell if a car is uninsured.

BTW.. Watch the link. I got a very un-work-safe advert there.

[Jeremy K. @ Feb 26th 2007 3:33PM]

Riight... and I believe everything the National Enquirer publishes also. What a silly post.

[Michael @ Feb 26th 2007 5:07PM]

@Jeremy K - Normally I would agree with you, but I happen to live in the Thames Valley, England and know a traffic officer; this is true.

[mase @ Feb 26th 2007 3:39PM]

Homer: You know, one day honset citizens are going to stand up to you crooked cops!
Wiggum: They are!? Oh no! Ha-have they set a date?

[Bruzer @ Feb 26th 2007 4:16PM]

If true... Fox will be tracking them down and sending them a cease and desist order for trademark infringement.

[Matt B @ Feb 26th 2007 4:38PM]

When there is a gunshot, it says:

"Say hello to my little friend!!"

[cableguyjim @ Feb 26th 2007 6:24PM]

@ macona - here in the UK, there's a central database which holds information on all the car insurance policies, including expiry dates, drivers, car registration number, that kind of thing. If the police see a suspect car they just check the registration number and can see instantly if it's got appropriate insurance.

[ashleydstates @ Feb 26th 2007 7:02PM]

@cableguyjim The privacy freaks and the ACLU would be all over it if they tried to pass something like that in the States.

[PeeKay @ Feb 27th 2007 4:16AM]

I also live in the Thames Valley and have heard about this before. As for J.Q Law typing licence plates into the computer, they don't need to any more when they have ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition).

I think you'll find that it is this that causes the computer to emit an audio notification when a 'shifty' type drives past.

I guess you U.S types are looking forward to all this U.K surveillance rubbish that's being developed here??? :S

[Maff @ Feb 27th 2007 4:51AM]

@ Jeremy K, I wouldn't believe that paper, but this story is true, but also old, we have a show on the BBC called "Traffic Cops" which camera's ride round with traffic cops, and this was shown on there, you can set it to alert you in whatever way you want, but this female & male pairing chose this sound, it was on TV last summer, recorded last winter and it wasn;t new technology even then, shame engadget are so far behind yet again

[pritch @ Feb 27th 2007 5:21AM]

@macona / cableguyjim

Not only is there a central database of who has insurance (which saved me hell of a lot of time when I bought my tax disc online last week), but some traffic cars are fitted with number plate recognition cameras, which allow vehicles to be checked automagically.

[Andrew @ Feb 27th 2007 7:21AM]

THes cops were obviosly off duty and at the pub when they said all that.

[Maff @ Feb 27th 2007 7:55AM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCd1PO5CFyo

an old video about the number plate recognition (we call them "number plates" or "registration numbers" which in the US you call license plate)

[Chris1280 @ Feb 27th 2007 8:14AM]

I know an old guy in my skittles team that say D'oh, its just natural and I bet thats where they get the idea for the simpsons from

[jcrackhorn @ Feb 27th 2007 8:56AM]

For all you Americans we Brits have technology which can actually fight crime. All legal UK cars are of course registered on a national database. When people insure their cars the Insurers pass that information to the database as do the centres which test cars for safety each year.

When a UK cop receives information about a drug dealer that can go on the database too, stolen cars of course go on.

So when the database is linked to a camera with software which can read registration plates and then a car without insurance, paid tax or information reports on it drives past the computer tells the cop.

Clearly cops with a sense of humour have altered the audible alerts to something a little more amusing.

We all do something to make our day a little more bearable, nothing wrong in that.

[rch @ Feb 27th 2007 10:11AM]

cool cop

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