And now for something really scarey - and stupid

[Ixion]

July 3, 2005: Forget Cameras -- a High-Tech Device will Cut Drivers’ Speed by Satellite

It is the ultimate back seat driver. Motorists face having their cars fitted with a “spy” device that prevents speeding.

The satellite-based system will monitor the speed limit and apply the brakes or cut out the accelerator if a driver tries to exceed it. A government-funded trial has concluded that the scheme promotes safer driving.

Drivers in London could be among the first to have the “speed spy” devices fitted. They would be offered a discount on the congestion charge if they use the system.

The move follows a six-month trial in Leeds using 20 modified Skoda Fabias, which found that volunteer drivers paid more attention as well to keeping to the speed limit. More than 1,000 lives a year could be saved if the system was fitted to all Britain’s cars, say academics at Leeds University, who ran the trial on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT).

It is part of a two-year research project into “Intelligent Speed Adaptation” (ISA), which the department is funding at a cost of £2m. Results of the initial trial will be presented to ministers this week....

Source is HERE (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1678707,00.html)

Line forms on the left guys. I'm sure that bureaucrats and satellites will do a far better job of vehicle control than the actual driver! :mad:

[SPORK]

Sorry mate, already been posted here, I THINK. Otherwise it was on another forum.

Fake Edit: Yeah, it was on another forum. Or was it?

Triple Corpse Editblow: I have no idea, I hate the idea of govermentals watching... :rant:

[MSTRS]

Shouldn't this be in the Jokes section?? OMIGOD!

[enigma51]

Somebody should tell bernie ecelsteen (How ever you spell his surname) he can control F1 cars a bit better then.

Scallectrix with real cars COOOOOOOOL

[John]

The day they do that, is the day I begin a normal life.

[Lou Girardin]

Will it cut your speed in the middle of overtaking?

[madboy]

The line forming you talk about... what for? A rodgering with a big state sponsored dildo? F***ing nanny state plonkers. Just make the drivers competent to use the machinery, don't dumb the machinery down to the lowest common denominator and make the rest of us pay. Bastards.

Hopefully someone will provide a device that circumvents it for those willing to kill by exceeding the posted speed limit.

[Ixion]

Shouldn't this be in the Jokes section?? OMIGOD!

I thought it was a spoof at first. Then I checked the original source and decided it wasn't. The Times has no sense of humour.

And I don't imagine that the satellite would be smart enough to avoid shutting you down mid corner. Or in the middle of a emergency situation.

Scarey stuff.

[placidfemme]

Hopefully someone will provide a device that circumvents it for those willing to kill by exceeding the posted speed limit.

I'm sure we'll figure out a way to remove them and then put them back in for WOF if they ever bring them out here in NZ... and if so I'll be in the front of the protest line :mad:

[pete376403]

Now why would they do that? All that nice speeding revenue they'd be loosing out on. Much better that they just monitor the speed remotely as described, and post out a ticket. Or just direct debit your bank account, or deduct from your wages at source.

[Pwalo]

Get a grip people. This seems to be a proposal by a group of academics. Anyway can you see any NZ government agreeing to pay for that sort of technology?

[Motoracer]

I think, everyone should get into racing or fast road riding on the open rural areas with not many other people around, as unrealistic as that sounds. If you don't have the urge to race or ride fast on the open roads then you shouldn't have any worries sticking with the speed limit most of the time anyway. I used to be a lost fool speeding around town going 80, 90 , 100 on 50 K areas and shit.

However, once you start going into turns at 200kmph (Jennean at Puke ammong other turns on the open roads) and start clocking late model big bore performance bikes, speeding in 50kmph area or motorways going through busy urban areas seems so pointless.

These days I really go at about 55-60kmph on a 50 zone or 100-110kmph on a busy 100 K zone and laugh at people who pass me while they think they are cool "going fast". I think to myself "Yea plonker go ahead, you are REAL cool going soo fast at 90 kmph on a residential area or going 140kmph in the inner city motorways. You must be having the buzz of your life eh?!"

From time to time I do speed sometimes myself on the motorway as I am not perfect. That's only for genuine reasons like being late to go on a date or work or KB ride etc etc but I still try my best...

So I reckon if every one reached their personal extream limits of speed, there would be less people who speed for stupid reasons. Not to mention the fact that everyone would have far supirior vehicle control skills so everyone would be a LOT safer.

Though that would be my ideal world, it is not very realistic. So, as you were people...

[Quasievil]

I think, everyone should get into racing or fast road riding on the open rural areas with not many other people around, as unrealistic as that sounds. If you don't have the urge to race or ride fast on the open roads then you shouldn't have any worries sticking with the speed limit most of the time anyway. I used to be a lost fool speeding around town going 80, 90 , 100 on 50 K areas and shit.

However, once you start going into turns at 200kmph (Jennean at Puke ammong other turns on the open roads) and start clocking late model big bore performance bikes, speeding in 50kmph area or motorways going through busy urban areas seems so pointless.

These days I really go at about 55-60kmph on a 50 zone or 100-110kmph on a busy 100 K zone and laugh at people who pass me while they think they are cool "going fast". I think to myself "Yea plonker go ahead, you are REAL cool going soo fast at 90 kmph on a residential area or going 140kmph in the inner city motorways. You must be having the buzz of your life eh?!"

From time to time I do speed sometimes myself on the motorway as I am not perfect. That's only for genuine reasons like being late to go on a date or work or KB ride etc etc but I still try my best...

So I reckon if every one reached their personal extream limits of speed, there would be less people who speed for stupid reasons. Not to mention the fact that everyone would have far supirior vehicle control skills so everyone would be a LOT safer.

Though that would be my ideal world, it is not very realistic. So, as you were people...

Good call MR, thats why I got a race bike, get my adrenalin rush on the track, on the road Im a slow cautious rider braced and prepared for every obstacle particulary roads such as 22 :devil2:

[Lou Girardin]

Get a grip people. This seems to be a proposal by a group of academics. Anyway can you see any NZ government agreeing to pay for that sort of technology?

No, they make you pay.
As for dumbing down machinery, has anyone one seen the alphabet of acronyms for all the stability control devices on modern cages. DSR, ASR, DSC, GaG, etc.
All to keep fat, incompetent Germans and Murkins from wrapping their cars around immovable objects.
The friggin' things even brake for you.

[Ixion]

Now why would they do that? All that nice speeding revenue they'd be loosing out on. Much better that they just monitor the speed remotely as described, and post out a ticket. Or just direct debit your bank account, or deduct from your wages at source.

No reason they couldn't do both ? Detect you're speeding , whop you with a fine, and forcibly slow you down.

Personally, agree with Mr Motoracer. After all , 90kph (in a 50 zone) - whoo hoo - what a thrill . What's the point (apart from speeding up to move into a gap, avoiding idiots etc).

And on motorways etc, well the difference between 110 and 120 is "so what". Other than desparately trying to make a deadline or something, it's not worth the risk of a ticket.

A nice back country road, with the motor buzzing nicely , and a decent speed on the clock - that's another matter. But built up areas, motorways, I can't be bothered - it seems so squidish - "hey man , I'm da schnitz - lookit me I'm doing 140kph ! Wow! "

'Course, being a Nana, I'm more concerned about how I'm going to increase my cruising speed to avoid bening caught by this 40kph mimimum speed limit.

[Skyryder]

The mind boggles at the stupidity of these beaurocrats. Two million for some techno gadget that controls your car. All they got do is fit govenors to the vehicle. That's to simple.

Dumb idea. Mind you govenors for habitual speedsters .................na still to simple.

Skyryder

[Skyryder]

Get a grip people. This seems to be a proposal by a group of academics. Anyway can you see any NZ government agreeing to pay for that sort of technology?

No................they'll just privatise the collection agency.

Skyryder

[myvice]

Fit them to cop cars! hehehehe :devil2:

[Bob]

The mind boggles at the stupidity of these beaurocrats. Two million for some techno gadget that controls your car. All they got do is fit govenors to the vehicle. That's to simple.

Dumb idea. Mind you govenors for habitual speedsters .................na still to simple.

Skyryder

I think I reported on this in the Biker News forum a while back, as part of an article on how Transport for London wanted to bring in all sorts of anti-biking measures.

Now then... it is not as simple as fitting a 'govenor'. We are not talking maximum speed limitation here, but variable speed lcontrol, reacting to different speed limits. So your speed will be monitored and 'amended' if you go too fast. With no thought about what you are doing.

So imagine the scene... you are in a 60mph zone, and go to overtake... and cross into a 40 zone, still doing 60. In kicks the black box. Suddenly you are slowing down... and the truck coming the other way that wasn't a problem ? Well now it is one as you're slowing up and cannot accelerate out of trouble.

Or, you're on a rural road where you're allowed to do 60. But you're cornering when the silly device thinks you shouldn't be doing 60. And cuts off/limits the revs. Your nice, tight cornering goes out of the window and you run wide as the revs drop... right into the path of another truck coming in the opposite direction...

[Pixie]

Attach the GPS transponder to your cat and go out for a ride.

[myvice]

Attach the GPS transponder to your cat and go out for a ride.
WHAT??????

[Pixie]

WHAT??????
The system obviously uses GPS.Put the transponder on your cat and let it go off and do it's usual daily rounds.The Big Brother system will see a "vehicle" slowly travel around your neighbourhood throughout the day,while you are out riding the bike formerly fitted with the transponder,unobserved by Big Brother.
Any other questions?

[XP@]

The system obviously uses GPS.Put the transponder on your cat and let it go off and do it's usual daily rounds.The Big Brother system will see a "vehicle" slowly travel around your neighbourhood throughout the day,while you are out riding the bike formerly fitted with the transponder,unobserved by Big Brother.
Any other questions?
I couldn't stand being woken every night by the cops at the door...

Just attach a second device which feeds the coordinates of a german autobhan to the gps.

Seriously If you have ever ridden with a gps you will know they are accurate... well almost. Mine once told me to turn right on to SH1 in 0.1km, that would have been great but i was at the lookout on piecock hill, yeh right!

You would be tootling along the motorway at 100kph a parallel side road gets a bit too close. Does the device err on the side of caution or decide you are doing twice the limit and slam on your anchors?

Or on a bike... the effects could well be interesting... too interesting to be able to control.