dave_gt

It has just been on the news that these new systems are being tested in Leeds. Basically, the system knows the speed limit by GPS technology and limits your cars speed accordingly. You cannot exceed the posted limit.

My initial thoughts are that this is actually a bit irresponsible. Yes, speed can kill if applied in the wrong circumstances but limiting a car to the limit is madness. Too many motorists drive like they walk anyway; with no thought. To remove the need to watch your speed will have the effect that the majority will concentrate even less on their driving.

I think speed limiters on cars would cause people to drive at the speed limit all of the time partly to make up for any lost time and partly because they will assumen it is safe, when in fact the opposite will often be true. Motorway following distances will reduce even further as everyone drives along at exactly 70mph.

There are many instances when breaking the speed limit is the safest thing to do. Sometimes you need to accelerate out of danger rather than brake into it. If you are overtaking a car or lorry doing, say 50mph in a 60mph limit where conditions are good, it may be safer to accelerate to 70ish to get past as quickly as possible than accelerate to 60 and wait as you crawl past that HGV.

I might support some sort of voluntary system which is user-overidable by switch or by application of full throttle, but if this system which is being tested is introduced as a compulsory measure I think road accidents would increase.

One other fairly minor thing - my Dad recently avoided a potentially violent car jacking by finding a straight road and flooring it. The criminal element will surely find a way of deactivating the limiters so would we see this sort of thing increase?

I have a feeling that the government might think twice before making a system like this compulsory anyway because they'd lose so much money in speeding fines.

What do others think?

[Edited by dave_gt - 5/28/2003 1:30:44 PM]

Alpine99

nanny state in overdrive.. Can't see it ever happening as it will kill the revenue stream.. What I could see happening is your car reporting you if you go over the limit...

I'm sure the technology can be bypassed by a couple of stickers over the antenna

dnb

Alpine, if I were to design such a system, I would include a fail safe in case of such a thing - limit to lowest speed limit, say 30 mph. After all, speed kills, so the slower you go, the safer it is...



It's a damn silly idea to have such a technology in cars that has no overide facility. I believe it will result in a severe increase in accidents due to sleeping at the wheel / reading books & general boredom...

It's getting to the stage where even breathing in this country is a waste of time. After all, you **might** inhale a fly or something and die... It wouldn't do to actually take a risk, now would it.

Alpine99

dnb --- you're right of course

Pete Croney

It won't happen for the forseeable future because GPS is too unreliable. Bad weather, tall buildings and even trees on the side of the road block the signal.

Imagine driving up the A1(M) and going into the tunnel at The Galleria. Suddenly you are slowed to 30mph because you have lost the signal. The guy behind has a slightly longer latching time and carries on at 70mph for 50 metres more. He isn't really looking ahead because he knows everyone is doing exactly the same speed.

hades

I also seem to remember the sat nav in a mates Jag XKR. It used gyros as well as GPS (most do to compensate for the fact you regularly loose the GPS signal). If you pulled away with steering lock the second you started the car, the gyros initialised to a wrong position - therefore the sat nav thought you were continually turning hard left/right. If the speed limiters are set up like that, they may end up forcing the car to pull doughnuts all the time

Suddenly, I like this idea actually!

Popeye P1

Another example of the gov trying to dictate our lives. What about overtaking? Would the limiter kick in then?

boomer

Does anyone really think that by preventing cars from breaking the speed limit, it will stop all road accidents, injuries or deaths

mb

dave_gt

I've often wondered that; do the anti-speed lot really think that the best way to save lives is to make everyone stick to the often incorrect limits religiously? If so, it is a shame that people put in a potentially powerful position are so unfortunately misguided.

Leslie

If everyone drives at the same speed there will be the most horrendous bunching of traffic and in consequence more dangerous situations will occur.

Les

dnb

Pete - there are some very good dead reckoning algorithms about now that can compensate for loss of signal quite well. Admittedly, I've not seen them in operation yet. (Yacht based GPS)

It would be possible to build in such things and have sensible decision making algorithms for determining speed.

As a responsible engineer, I would never design something like this. To give this sort of power to anyone but the driver is just plain silly. There has to be a better way to reduce accidents, if that's what this is about.

As is widely said "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing!"


A slight tangent here - HGV drivers now have to take several tests before being allowed out in certain lorries. You start with 4 wheelers, then move up to ones with trailers and then articulated 38 ton things (IIRC) Some of these lorries have different speed limits at different times. (Again IIRC)

What would be the response to having a similar structure for car drivers - say you start with the "up to 100 bhp" licence, then the "up to 200 bhp" licence and then the "over 200" licence. The speed limit you are allowed applies to the car you're in.

I realise this will take some doing & there are details to sort out, but it's less cockeyed than many a government scheme....

TopBanana

I wouldn't object to it so much if they set the speed limit to something more sensible on motorways