Big brother to control you speed on highway

[Cowperson]

It's the last thing many motorists would want -- a permanent, electronic back-seat driver, forcefully reminding them not to speed.

But Transport Canada is road-testing cutting-edge devices that use global positioning satellite technology and a digital speed-limit map to know when a driver is speeding, and to try to make them stop.

When a driver hits a certain percentage above the posted speed limit, the device kicks in and makes it difficult to press the accelerator.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...tory/National/

My life as I know it would end if this ever came into being.

Cowperson

[Hakan]

The more Canadians resist voluntary measures to reduce their carbon emissions the more you will see regulatory measures proposed to reduce carbon emissions.

I doubt this would happen soon but carbon abatement policies you never would have thought probable will be enacted within the next 20 years. Climate change is here folks. And driver speeding is considered a low hanging fruit for government regulators concerned about cost.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Hakan

The more Canadians resist voluntary measures to reduce their carbon emissions the more you will see regulatory measures proposed to reduce carbon emissions.

I doubt this would happen soon but carbon abatement policies you never would have thought probable will be enacted within the next 20 years. .

I doubt it . . . . but why don't you try us and tell us what kind of draconian things are going to happen in the next 20 years and we'll see if we agree or disagree.

And no, I don't think you'll ever see governors on individual cars controlled by satellite . . . . at least not before you have cars that are driven automatically to their destination.

When I read that story I just started laughing at how some of those lunatics on the Edmonton/Calgary run would cope . . . . you get run over by little old ladies if you're going less than 125 km an hour on a 110 posted highway.

Cowperson

[arsenal]

Don't mean to hijack, but thought that this was relevant as well.
The register has this story from a couple weeks ago:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11...ment_database/

Best quote from this story is:

The primary aims claimed for the system are tackling untaxed and uninsured vehicles, stolen cars and the considerably broader one of 'denying criminals the use of the roads.' But unless the Times has got the spacing wrong, having one every quarter of a mile on motorways quite clearly means they'll be used to enforce speed limits as well, which would effectively make the current generation of Gatsos obsolete. Otherwise, checking a vehicle's tax and insurance status every 15 seconds or thereabouts would seem overkill.

[Daradon]

I would have thought they would have implemented stationary (hidden) multinova type cams on the highway before going to a GPS type system. I guess worse case scenario (for them) is that they'd have to move the cameras around every few months.

I know there has to be an officer on duty to make the ticket legal, but a measue like the one proposed above wouldn't have an officer there would it?

Ahhh I see where I am making the mistake here, you wouldn't be getting a tickey, you'd just be forced to slow down.

[Jayems]

What about if your on the highway, you go to overtake a truck, and halfway through the take-over, your car stops accelerating forcing you to slow down on the wrong side of the highway, with oncoming traffic. Sounds like a death trap to me.

[FireInTheHole]

Originally Posted by Jayems

What about if your on the highway, you go to overtake a truck, and halfway through the take-over, your car stops accelerating forcing you to slow down on the wrong side of the highway, with oncoming traffic. Sounds like a death trap to me.

You're not supposed to exceed the speed limit when passing on a highway....

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by FireInTheHole

You're not supposed to exceed the speed limit when passing on a highway....

So for trying to break the law, the government kills you? :P

[RatherDashing]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I would have thought they would have implemented stationary (hidden) multinova type cams on the highway before going to a GPS type system. I guess worse case scenario (for them) is that they'd have to move the cameras around every few months.

I know there has to be an officer on duty to make the ticket legal, but a measue like the one proposed above wouldn't have an officer there would it?

Ahhh I see where I am making the mistake here, you wouldn't be getting a tickey, you'd just be forced to slow down.

I've heard that they tried the stationary cameras on Alberta highways a few years ago, but people would stop their cars and trash the cameras.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by fotze

And fining people for things is an even lower hanging fruit.

Why don' they just disallow cars from being able to go over 140 kph. They have rules about daytime running lights and airbags etc, why not stop cars from being manufactured like that. Oh ya they love the revenue that speeding creates much more than any pesky pollution concerns.

Because the amount of power that it takes to get you up a very steep hill at 110 kph is enough to get you going much much faster on a straightaway or downhill? You need more power if you're going to pull a trailer as well. These are just two examples of why you might need enough power that you could get past the speed limit in regular conditions. And I'm sure others can come up with many more valid reasons. Where do you draw the line? Unless you mean something like a governor, in which case...they've already tried it on many vehicles. Pretty easy to tamper with. I just don't think they can get something like that to work.

[Jayems]

yeah, watch it become regulation and mandatory, just to have the mechanics make a fortune with under the table "tamperings" to cars.

Think about the poor sports car owners (Oxymoron, i know.) jeeeeze.

[Buzzard]

nm

[Delthefunky]

Climate change is here. I just found out last night listening to CBC that the earth has seen it's first "environmental" refugees, as small pacific island residents were forced to move because of rising sea levels.

Originally Posted by Hakan

The more Canadians resist voluntary measures to reduce their carbon emissions the more you will see regulatory measures proposed to reduce carbon emissions.

I doubt this would happen soon but carbon abatement policies you never would have thought probable will be enacted within the next 20 years. Climate change is here folks. And driver speeding is considered a low hanging fruit for government regulators concerned about cost.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Hakan

The more Canadians resist voluntary measures to reduce their carbon emissions the more you will see regulatory measures proposed to reduce carbon emissions.

I doubt this would happen soon but carbon abatement policies you never would have thought probable will be enacted within the next 20 years. Climate change is here folks. And driver speeding is considered a low hanging fruit for government regulators concerned about cost.

Though, naturally, the government has no problem with the level of carbon emissions being dumped into the atmosphere by by automobile manufacturers as they produce the cars.

Why bother the big industry in your big ridings when you can screw the little guy?

[MagicallyAdept]

Originally Posted by arsenal

Don't mean to hijack, but thought that this was relevant as well.
The register has this story from a couple weeks ago:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11...ment_database/

Best quote from this story is:

Ah yes the Uk's policy on drivers - Make them pay as much as possible because they know that people will still keep driving. And use the money to...

i know let more illegal immigrants come here and get a free house, yippee!

In London we have to pay $12CAD every day extra just to drive.

[MagicallyAdept]

There is no actual proof that climate change is caused by pollution though. Over the last million years on earth the climate has changed many times. It is impossible to measure the current cycle on 50 years of data if each cycle lasts for say 20000 years. We could just be on a cycle that increases temperatures/rainfall/sea levels etc right now. I agree though we do pollute too much but The UK and Canada are trying to stop which costs us lots of money while America do not want to sign the Kyoto protocol.

It is always the motorist that gets it in the ass.
If you do not like all these anti-motoring measures you should watch top gear with Jeremy Clarkson