Big Brother’s Watching Your Speed

This is the ultimate way to curb speeding. A satellite-based system that will monitor a vehicle’s speed and applies the brakes or cuts acceleration if the driver tried to exceed it.

After a six-month trial in Leeds involving 20 modified Skoda Fabia cars, England is prepared to introduce the new system in London. The trial was run by academics at Leeds University who posted findings that the 20 volunteer drivers paid more attention to driving, as well as keeping the speed limit.

To encourage participation in the trial, drivers in London will be offered discounts on the congestion charges if they opt to have the system installed in their new vehicles. Congestion charges are currently at £8 a day.

How does it work?

The whole system is backed by satellite to track the locations of each car. A black box in the car contains maps of every road in Leeds, with speed limits of each road. The speed limit of the current road is displayed on the dashboard to notify/remind the driver of the speed limit.

If the driver goes over the speed limit, a signal is sent to the accelerator or brake pedal to slow the car down if it was going too fast. Of course, a override is available to avoid hazards from happening.

This is the ultimate “big brother is watching” alert if the system is made mandatory for all drivers. This system had better be hack-proof otherwise it could be a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Source: The New Sunday Times

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • daniel on Jul 12, 2005 at 3:15 pm

    cool.. but the i definitely wont have it in my car as the speed limit in malaysia is nonsense.. heh. 120 for highway? haiyoh.. how to survive?

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  • In malaysia, there are so many other existing issues unsolved. I don't think this to happened in malaysia any time soon.

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  • paul… what happen to the BLACK BOX for bus

    my return trip from KL,… express bus are overtaking me when I am already driving at 110-120kmh

    it is only in Malaysia dream this will come here

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  • Paul…. my car just breakdown…. overheated and damage the engine.

    I wonder with so so many advance system install in a car, why are this car not install with a engine cut off system to stop the engine when it is too hot ?

    I was speaking to the machanic, even cars like honda, toyota and nissan do not have this thing. why ?

    Is manufacturer intentionally do not install this, so that engine can be overheated and driver will consider replace the car ? he he ha ha

    Maybe U can write something on this…

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  • narrowband on Jul 12, 2005 at 7:08 pm

    I think there's a danger to it, too.

    Say, if you need the pace to overtake on a one-lane road (one-lane to-, one-lane fro-), you have to be fast enough to swerve back into your lane before the oncoming traffic hits you.

    What if the speed is cut off deliberately at that instant?

    Okay okay, i guess it helps to curb excessive overtaking, too, then.

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  • deutsche volk on Jul 13, 2005 at 3:38 am

    my bro car-cefiro 3.0 in Malaysia have that kinda tech…edw….it does stop automatically when engine overheat..maybe it does not worth to fit in in a small car i guess..

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  • akari on Jul 13, 2005 at 7:45 am

    aiyoo… we malaysian's life where got worth so many $?? put few camera take down few cars got earn enuf liau, put this system "fan fan zhong" saman also no enuf cover for satellite, lose money ma…

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  • hai deutsche volk

    maybe u are right, my car's a proton, small car, small company, did not worth the $$ to put the system here.

    this is the 4th time overheated,

    1st time, radiator top cover broken,

    2nd time, radiator fan motor

    3rd time, water pump

    4th time now, radiator fan motor again.

    I was lucky the first 3 time, sorry for this 4th time.

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  • deutsche volk on Jul 13, 2005 at 6:37 pm

    sorry to hear bout yr car edw..well it just tipical msian temp..hot!..

    thats y dont buy grey imported cars(bimmer..whatsoever)-cars that made for euro specs….they have such a small radiator..!!

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  • wa sea hokkien lang on Jul 15, 2005 at 10:15 am

    good 1 if install in every car in malaysia can monitor traffic err… paul .. if that thing can monitor at tarffic light sure many of m'sian don't beat the red light and accerlarate the pedal when they saw green turn to yellow very soon to red.

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  • Er…even with such high tech system, If your break is not working properly, if your brake light is not functioning (someone will kiss ur ass), ur steering is loose…coz we do not have MOD system (send your car to puspacom for yearly checking) like europe enforced. Its not really speed which everything cause the tragedy….

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