NEWS
Vehicles in London could soon be fitted with technology that will automatically slow them down if they break the speed limit.
Transport for London (TfL) said it is investigating the technology and plans to run a trial next year in an attempt to cut road traffic deaths.
A TfL spokesman told silicon.com: "We've got to the point where we need to look at new ways of reducing road deaths. This technology exists in the early stages of development and we are looking at this now."
A trial of speed-limiting technology is likely to take place next year with 10 TfL vehicles. The idea is that if the vehicle exceeds the speed limit, the engine revs are automatically limited so that it slows down again.
Motorists often claim they are speeding because they don't know the limit in a particular area. But this would no longer be an excuse if their GPS satellite navigation system could alert them to changes in speed limit as they drive.
TfL is working on a map of the speed limits in London, which could then be loaded into satellite navigation systems.
The spokesman added: "We are working with Ordnance Survey to come up with a digital speed-limit map. There are so many variations of speed across the capital we need to get that map sorted."
Another potential use is to equip buses with the technology. The TfL spokesman said: "If you are behind a bus that can't break the speed limit then you can't break the speed limit."
Separately, The Times is reporting that speed cameras will start taking digital photographs of speeding drivers' faces, in order to crack down on motorists who try to evade fines by claiming someone else was driving their car.
Comments
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1. Simon
Same old misguided crap !
It "might" have a short term effect, but in the long term it simply re-inforces the "you don't need to take responsibility or think for yourself" approach that is already the cause of many accidents.
The fact that the so called "professionals" clearly do not understand basic human performance issues should disqualify them from having anything to do with road safety.
Of course, such medium-long term failures will not be diagnosed as being because of the flawed measures - no, they will be used as excuses for even more stupid ideas !
2. Steve Watkins
I have said this before and i will say it again, the real reason for all this evil nonsense has NOTHING to do with raod safety; it is about CONTROL.
The evil people who concoct these vile schemes are not interested in road safety and it they try to tell that to anybody they are LIARS.
It is always forgotten that in 1931 there were over 7,000 deaths on the roads of britain; by 1990 this had reduced to less than 4,000. With all the vile tax cameras introduce ever since this number has not changed significantly. Look the figures up, don't take my word for it.
Most importantly, the corrupt and vile layabouts who authorise these evil schemes should take a lesson in history.
3. anonymous
Too many people in my area actually now driving at well below the speed limit...create queues behind them with no spaces and create accidents themselves. Who are these people? Are they nervous behind the wheel or something?!?
Going fast is not in itself dangerous, its just like everything...some people abuse it with serious consequences.
What I hate though is when the motorist gets blamed for everything...I constantly see children pushing each other into the road around school closing time and parents crossing the road with their children on blind bends just metres away from crossings?
What about getting on at these people about road safetly instead of loading roads up with speed bumps which really do nothing other than slow traffic and break your car.
We had speed bumps put in on one road and someone still got run over because they ran into the road and there was nothing to stop them e.g. railings.
4. anonymous
At its inception, no one prediced how widley used personal transportation would become. Now with almost every adult needing their own car, the way of thinking really needs to change.
I find it amazing that in this advanced technolgy age we are still mixing padestrians with transport vehicles. Why do people even need to be on the roads, they are designed for fast moving metal structures, not eaisily broken people.