More big brother

**Big Dave** · 9th January 2008, 12:03

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** · 9th January 2008, 12:06

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

**James Deuce** · 9th January 2008, 12:11

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** · 9th January 2008, 12:17

Originally Posted by Big Dave

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** · 9th January 2008, 12:21

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** · 9th January 2008, 12:25

Originally Posted by vifferman

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** · 9th January 2008, 12:30

Originally Posted by 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

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

**Big Dave** · 9th January 2008, 12:36

Originally Posted by DonaldH

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

Blackmail is an ugly word, Donald.

**Nagash** · 9th January 2008, 13:07

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** · 9th January 2008, 13:19

Replace all motorvehicles with camels!

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

**sprag** · 9th January 2008, 13:31

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** · 9th January 2008, 13:48

Originally Posted by Nagash

.....
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.