More big brother

[Big Dave]

Device automatically slows speeding cars

9:30AM Wednesday January 09, 2008


The device warns the driver first, before cutting power to the engine to prevent speeding. Photo / Dannevirke News

MELBOURNE - The Victorian and Queensland governments are evaluating a device that can automatically slow a speeding car using satellite technology.
The Australasian Intelligent Speed Adaptation initiative could be trialled in Victoria, the Herald Sun reported today.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon, several Victorian ministers, a former Victorian coroner and 45 other participants would be the first to try the speed reduction system, the report said.
All states and territory governments and the New Zealand government have been in talks to introduce of the system.
Other trials are planned this year in NSW and Western Australia, the report said.
The technology uses GPS and a database that identifies speed limits on all roads and operates on three levels.
Drivers get an audible warning they are over the limit at level one.
At level two, the device cuts power to the engine to prevent the driver from speeding, but the system can be adjusted or overridden.
At level three, the system cannot be switched off or adjusted and all speeding is cut.
The device could be fitted to repeat speeding offenders, or to all vehicles.
A spokeswoman for Roads Minister Tim Pallas would not confirm any trial, but Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel said his government was involved in the talks.
"Technology is evolving all the time with these things, and my view with road safety is to see what the latest technology is and see if we can improve safety."
Queensland Transport vehicle safety consultant Michael Paine said the system could cut the number of serious accidents by 20 per cent.
The Herald Sun quoted an unnamed Victorian government website, which estimated the number of fatalities could be cut by almost 60 per cent if it was fitted to all cars.
The system would cost between A$700 and A$2000 per vehicle and would first be fitted to fleet cars, the Herald Sun said.
- AAP

[Ixion]

They have already trialled this in the UK. It was a bit of a flop. For obvious reasons.

[James Deuce]

Well, you'd thin the gene pool of those risk takers with all the head-on collisions generated during overtaking moves that are unable to be completed safely.

I can see how this would work well for Labour.

[vifferman]

The Herald Sun quoted an unnamed Victorian government website, which estimated the number of fatalities could be cut by almost 60 per cent if it was fitted to all cars.
I estimate the number of fatalities could be cut by 94.73% (approximately) if one wheel was removed from each car. This would be much cheaper than the estimated $700-$2000 this device costs.
I also estimate that the moon is not made of cheese as was once thought, but is instead composed mainly of dandruff and dust bunnies.

[Hitcher]

Where do they find these people who are so preoccupied with the alleged evils of speeding?

How is the PM going to get to rugby matches on time with this sort of kit around?

[Big Dave]

I
I also estimate that the moon is not made of cheese as was once thought, but is instead composed mainly of dandruff and dust bunnies.

Moron. Go to google moon and zoom in as close as you can and tell me what you see huh, huh, huh.

[DonaldH]

Device automatically slows speeding cars

9:30AM Wednesday January 09, 2008


The device warns the driver first, before cutting power to the engine to prevent speeding. Photo / Dannevirke News

MELBOURNE - The Victorian and Queensland governments are evaluating a device that can automatically slow a speeding car using satellite technology.
The Australasian Intelligent Speed Adaptation initiative could be trialled in Victoria, the Herald Sun reported today.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon, several Victorian ministers, a former Victorian coroner and 45 other participants would be the first to try the speed reduction system, the report said.
All states and territory governments and the New Zealand government have been in talks to introduce of the system.
Other trials are planned this year in NSW and Western Australia, the report said.
The technology uses GPS and a database that identifies speed limits on all roads and operates on three levels.
Drivers get an audible warning they are over the limit at level one.
At level two, the device cuts power to the engine to prevent the driver from speeding, but the system can be adjusted or overridden.
At level three, the system cannot be switched off or adjusted and all speeding is cut.
The device could be fitted to repeat speeding offenders, or to all vehicles.
A spokeswoman for Roads Minister Tim Pallas would not confirm any trial, but Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel said his government was involved in the talks.
"Technology is evolving all the time with these things, and my view with road safety is to see what the latest technology is and see if we can improve safety."
Queensland Transport vehicle safety consultant Michael Paine said the system could cut the number of serious accidents by 20 per cent.
The Herald Sun quoted an unnamed Victorian government website, which estimated the number of fatalities could be cut by almost 60 per cent if it was fitted to all cars.
The system would cost between A$700 and A$2000 per vehicle and would first be fitted to fleet cars, the Herald Sun said.
- AAP


Should be great on track days then..............

[Big Dave]

Should be great on track days then..............


Blackmail is an ugly word, Donald.

[Nagash]

Michael Paine said the system could cut the number of serious accidents by 20 per cent.
The Herald Sun quoted an unnamed Victorian government website, which estimated the number of fatalities could be cut by almost 60 per cent if it was fitted to all cars.

Who comes up with these statistics?

Is it not plainly obvious that the amount accidents would be exactly the same, it just wouldn't be due to speeding, it would be due to a huge range of other things like people trying to pass, getting their speed cut off and smashing into an oncoming logging truck. Or the alter of speed effecting their driving physics and locking up their tyres or whatever, it's ridiculous.

Waste of time and money in my opinion.. haven't the Government got more important things to focus on? Perhaps their election campaign.

[Conquiztador]

Replace all motorvehicles with camels!

Lets see you try to speed with one of those fu@$ers!!!

[sprag]

LOL tin foil around the cars GPS boxes I see.

But come on, do you know how hard it is to get a good GPS lock on something that is moving, error rate would be so high, lets say you have a 50k road right next to the motorway, what's the bet that it will pickup the 50 zone and set you to 50k's on the motorway yet the person behind you has locked onto the 100k zone limit and starts sitting on your butt. You then get pulled over for going to slow, do you think the cop will accept "sorry officer but my car would not go faster than 50k's because the goverment installed this dumb arse system into my car"?

[Mr Merde]

.....
Waste of time and money in my opinion.. haven't the Government got more important things to focus on? Perhaps their election campaign.

A waste of time amd money it may be but it shows the government as a caring and sensitive entity that only wishes the best for those persons who are wise enough to entrust their well being to them.

Something more important to focus on? Could there be? If by convincing those persons who are willing to actually exercise their only democratic right, that of the "free vote", they achieve their ambition and once again take up the reins of governance, then surely they have not wasted anything.

The pursuit of power is all that matters and any means of achieving such is good.

Once the "election", I use this word very tongue in cheek, is over they will go back to hiding in dark rooms , surrounding thier activities with secrecy orders and not in the public interest notices and you will once again be blissfully unaware of their existance.


They hope.

[-df-]

But come on, do you know how hard it is to get a good GPS lock on something that is moving

ummm...not hard at all...ever heard of gps devices for cars??

The technology has come a long way.

[Nagash]

Yeah i've got a GPS on my bike and it gives me directions down the closest 20 metres. It's fairly impressive really, just gets annoying sometimes..

[jtzzr]

Iv`e always wanted a Big Brother.:yes:

[sprag]

ummm...not hard at all...ever heard of gps devices for cars??

The technology has come a long way.

yes but where is the GPS device setup, just inside under the window ?

if you put a gps under the car then it would be hard for it to lock on, and still you will get errors with it,

[NighthawkNZ]

They have already trialled this in the UK. It was a bit of a flop. For obvious reasons.

In that case we will eventually trial it here as Kiwi's can do everything better even though they don't work overseas...

Exibit 1: MMP

[Ixion]

And if this GPS gizmo is fitted to my bike (passing for the moment on practicalities) - what is to stop me removing it and leaving it in the gargre?. So you would need a whole raft of extra rules and detectors to detector vehicles where the owners had done just that.

[-df-]

yes but where is the GPS device setup, just inside under the window ?

if you put a gps under the car then it would be hard for it to lock on, and still you will get errors with it,

can't be bothered with explaining the different ways this could be over come very cheaply (mounted anywhere in/under the car)...perhaps read up on something before pretending to know what you are talking about.

p.s. SiRFStar III chips can get a lock inside a building (1 floor above) with no external antenna...weak but still able to...shocked me.

[cowpoos]

Where do they find these people who are so preoccupied with the alleged evils of speeding?

How is the PM going to get to rugby matches on time with this sort of kit around?
The Rules don't apply to her in any case!

[sprag]

p.s. SiRFStar III chips can get a lock inside a building (1 floor above) with no external antenna...weak but still able to...shocked me.

Ok sweet will remember that next time i take my building for a drive down the motorway, :msn-wink:

I did not say it would not work i said you would get errors with it, you can not tell me that a gps system has never had an error, if you read my post you will see i was giving an example of what could go wrong if the gps was reading the wrong coordinates. i.e. reading a road next to the motorway and not that your on the motorway.

I myself still think there would be a high error rate if they put it on a database to slow down cars.

[-df-]

Ok sweet will remember that next time i take my building for a drive down the motorway, :msn-wink:



lol, now that would be a sight to see.




I did not say it would not work i said you would get errors with it, you can not tell me that a gps system has never had an error, if you read my post you will see i was giving an example of what could go wrong if the gps was reading the wrong coordinates. i.e. reading a road next to the motorway and not that your on the motorway.

I myself still think there would be a high error rate if they put it on a database to slow down cars.



I work with GPS and to be honest, its pretty damn good now-a-days, most of the "bad" data can be filtered out. Yet to have my latest device tell me I'm on the wrong road/location etc and is pin-pointing me almost to my exact spot.

Have a play with one if you get the chance...great toys...but a waste of money if you mostly know where you are going.

[Ixion]

The marvels of modern technology. But -- if all you wish to do is prevent a car speeding, why use such a technologically complex method. Governors have been around for about 100 years. It would be no harder to pass a law requiring every vehicle to have an untamperable governor, than it would be to pass a law requiring every vehicle to have an untamperable GPS speed controller. The just have a wee unit beside the road that broadcasts a low power signal that gives the speed limit for that section of road. Done at a fraction of the cost and complexity.

[sprag]

I work with GPS and to be honest,

Yes i know you work for Navman :P

[-df-]

Yes i know you work for Navman :P

ok...now you have me wondering...how do you know that?

[idb]

It's a great idea.
If you're lost you could ring up the friendly folk in the satellite and they could direct you.
You could leave your car on cruise control, even when you hit town.
If you get pulled over for speeding you could blame the coppers' own technology for not working properly to keep you under the speed limit.

When the technology gets good enough you will be able to drive your car without even getting in it, you just sit in front of the tv at home directing it with a mouse or steering wheel thingy and not leave your lazy-boy... how handy would that be?

[idb]

ok...now you have me wondering...how do you know that?

Check under your car.

[sprag]

Check under your car.

shhhhhhh

don't say that,

ummm magic is how i know

[Marmoot]

Iv`e always wanted a Big Brother.:yes:

I'd rather have pretty twin sisters who are not related to me in any way

[Grahameeboy]

You guys are a worry. Do you really believe for one minute that the Govt is going to impose speed limiters on cars.

How would Car Manufacturer's react
How would say the likes of Repco react
Potential impact on employment in the Vehicle Industry
Think of all those taxes that would be lost due to no one buying new cars fitted with these limiters.

It is just some Govt Official finding something to do and it will not go any further.

[FilthyLuka]

A waste of time amd money it may be but it shows the government as a caring and sensitive entity that only wishes the best for those persons who are wise enough to entrust their well being to them.

hmm, interesting interpretation. See, im more for "the man's keeping me down" approach.

Again, like in the previous thread, unless they have some obnoxious fines for tampering with the device, there is no way its gonna stay on my bike for long.

[Big Dave]

It is just some Govt Official finding something to do and it will not go any further.

There are several Arthur C - Issac A visions of the future where the controls of personal 'transprotation' are not left to the individual.

Cyberdine systems hasta la vista baby.

[MotoGirl]

Me thinks it's all a pipe dream. They make too many millions from fining us over speed-related offenses and they're not about to sacrifice that wee money spinner.

[Grahameeboy]

There are several Arthur C - Issac A visions of the future where the controls of personal 'transprotation' are not left to the individual.

Cyberdine systems hasta la vista baby.

Yep, wake me up when it happens..................:sleep::sleep::sleep:

[swbarnett]

Replace all motorvehicles with camels!

Lets see you try to speed with one of those fu@$ers!!!
The trouble is that if vehicle speeds drop, so will speed limits.

[Swoop]

You guys are a worry. Do you really believe for one minute that the Govt is going to impose speed limiters on cars.
I didn't believe they would have been so stupid as to insist on microchipping dogs as a "solution" to vicious dog attacks... But guess what they did?

Speaking of which, we haven't had a dog attack for a while. We are obviously overdue for one (or the micro fush 'n chups are doing their job - Yeah Right!)

[Nagash]

Well I don't think anyone thinks this'll actually happen, so why are the government even discussing it? Everything happens so slowly that they don't have time to waste on things like this.

Plenty of other issues which shoud be their sole priority, road standards are a big one for me.. road works coming out worse then the original road was..

[Grahameeboy]

I didn't believe they would have been so stupid as to insist on microchipping dogs as a "solution" to vicious dog attacks... But guess what they did?

Speaking of which, we haven't had a dog attack for a while. We are obviously overdue for one (or the micro fush 'n chups are doing their job - Yeah Right!)

The micro chip was to provide data on dogs for travel purposes to avoid long quarantine periods.

But hey if dog attacks are down then it does not sound so stupid eh?

[Grahameeboy]

Well I don't think anyone thinks this'll actually happen, so why are the government even discussing it? Everything happens so slowly that they don't have time to waste on things like this.

Plenty of other issues which shoud be their sole priority, road standards are a big one for me.. road works coming out worse then the original road was..

It is what MP's do to try and score points etc

[Swoop]

The micro chip was to provide data on dogs for travel purposes to avoid long quarantine periods.
Correct answer, if you are planning to vote labour.
Or for a Tui billboard.

[Spyked]

The micro chip was to provide data on dogs for travel purposes to avoid long quarantine periods.

But hey if dog attacks are down then it does not sound so stupid eh?

Funny but I attended the select committee hearings for the Dog Control Act and no mention was made of this?
They did state however that their intention was to gain positive proof of ownership in the case of an attack or if the dog was picked up as a stray. That way they know who to fine. Sounds kind of familiar doesn't it?
From the stats I've seen, dog attacks have remained at much the same level and the estimates for the numbers of unregistered animals has actually increased, probably due to the increase in fee's.
So, was the intention actually to do anything that would genuinely attempt reduce the number of attacks or was it just a cynical exercise that has increased costs to the mostly law abiding but silent majority.
The parallels with the debate about speeding and the road toll are all too obvious.
Therefore, yeah, pretty stupid eh!

[Big Dave]

Yep, wake me up when it happens..................:sleep::sleep::sleep:


Driverless cars 'on market in 10 years'

AAP, 08/01/08

Cars that drive themselves - even parking at their destination - could be ready for sale within a decade, General Motors executives say.

<!--image gallery--> http://img.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/2008/01/08/tahoe_m_m.jpg
A GM-sponsored Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD took first prize in a recent competition for driverless cars.


Cars that drive themselves - even parking at their destination - could be ready for sale within a decade, General Motors executives say.
GM, parts suppliers, university engineers and other automakers all are working on vehicles that could revolutionise short- and long-distance travel. And Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will devote part of his speech to the driverless vehicles.
"This is not science fiction," Larry Burns, GM's vice president for research and development, said in a recent interview.

[Grahameeboy]

Driverless cars 'on market in 10 years'

AAP, 08/01/08

Cars that drive themselves - even parking at their destination - could be ready for sale within a decade, General Motors executives say.


<!--image gallery--> http://img.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/2008/01/08/tahoe_m_m.jpg
A GM-sponsored Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD took first prize in a recent competition for driverless cars.



Cars that drive themselves - even parking at their destination - could be ready for sale within a decade, General Motors executives say.
GM, parts suppliers, university engineers and other automakers all are working on vehicles that could revolutionise short- and long-distance travel. And Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will devote part of his speech to the driverless vehicles.
"This is not science fiction," Larry Burns, GM's vice president for research and development, said in a recent interview.

Well NZ should be the test bed given the standard of driving.

However, GM will no doubt say it is possible but in reality will it be introduced. Battery powered vehicles as fast as petrol driven vehicles are possible but not a lot of action, more effecient means of combustion, better than current means have been known for years but not introduced.

[mowgli]

I went to a departmental briefing a couple of years ago on the new European satellite navigation system called Galileo. This is a commercial system (Navstar is a US DoD creation) and as I recall the application they were pushing hardest with governments was the ability to administer congestion charges and road tolls. Basically tax the begesus out of anyone who dares to drive on main roads during busy periods.

I think speed control is a red herring folks.

BTW Galileo will use two frequencies for its public service (currently only available to Military and specialist users with Navstar). This will eliminate atmospheric errors and give 4-8m accuracy so adjacent roads will not be an issue.

[Ixion]

It may be sooner than you think!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10486095

[RC1]

who pays the $2k do you get it subsidised

[swbarnett]

who pays the $2k do you get it subsidised
As far as I'm concerned this question is mute because I for one will not be using it. I don't give a rat's arse what the law says. If there's one thing that really makes my blood boil it's any kind of enforced personal tracking.

[Insanity_rules]

Who comes up with these statistics?

All Statisticians know that 28% of these statistics are rectally extracted. I have statistics to prove it!

[unhingedlizard]

As far as I'm concerned this question is mute because I for one will not be using it. I don't give a rat's arse what the law says. If there's one thing that really makes my blood boil it's any kind of enforced personal tracking.


Totally agree. someone puts one of these on my bike it wont last long, fines or no. Although they can track you from your cellphone........



All Statisticians know that 28% of these statistics are rectally extracted. I have statistics to prove it! .

And 83.9% of statistics are made up on the spot

[FilthyLuka]

Totally agree. someone puts one of these on my bike it wont last long, fines or no. Although they can track you from your cellphone........



+1, get the cutters

and you can always turn your phone off. What happens if you have a bike with a kickstart and no battery?

[ManDownUnder]

Oh I can see it now.

The State decided it would be best fro all to have the device - clearly a benefit. Then - at 2:17am little Timmy has a massive Asthma attack and needs to be taken to hospital ASAP.

Dad jumps in the car which ROARS away up to 53 kph...

[NighthawkNZ]

All Statisticians know that 28% of these statistics are rectally extracted. I have statistics to prove it!

But statistically speaking all statistics also have a 20% margin of statistical error based upon which idiot is using the statistical data to come up with the statistics... or something like that.

basically stats can easily be twisted and churned... if we really wanted to we could using the same stats show what ever we wanted. Its quite easy to do.

[SPman]

The marvels of modern technology. But -- if all you wish to do is prevent a car speeding, why use such a technologically complex method. Governors have been around for about 100 years. It would be no harder to pass a law requiring every vehicle to have an untamperable governor, than it would be to pass a law requiring every vehicle to have an untamperable GPS speed controller. The just have a wee unit beside the road that broadcasts a low power signal that gives the speed limit for that section of road. Done at a fraction of the cost and complexity.
Shhhhhhhhh......don't give them ideas.

Oh

It's simple

They'll pass on that one.

[Boob Johnson]

Everything happens so slowly that they don't have time to waste on things like this.And the anti smacking bill took how long to pass?



If they want it bad enough they WILL rush it in. Lets just hope there is no back door deal where the right (or wrong depending how you look at it) people get a back hander off the massive $$$ changing hands :oi-grr:

[swbarnett]

Although they can track you from your cellphone........
I think they can only locate you in urban areas where you're linked to two or more towers. With only one tower they can only get down to somewhere along a line from that tower (or can they determine distance from a tower from signal strength?).

I don't like this much either but at least you can turn your cellphone off.