New Technology Could Help To Slow Down Drivers

Instead of getting cities to issue more speeding tickets, what if cars automatically sensed the posted speed limit and prevented motorists from driving too fast?

1 minute read

June 10, 2007, 11:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"It's one of the great contradictions of modern transport -- automobiles keep getting faster while statistics that prove we need to slow down in the interests of community safety keep rolling in. Governments across the globe are moving to curb high-speed, particularly in areas such as school precincts where pedestrians at are greater risk, but these moves and the way in which they are policed are sometimes criticized as revenue raising exercises that do little to address the core issues."

"New technology that assists in helping drivers to be more aware of speed zones is potentially beneficial in this area. Gizmag recently covered a new system developed in Europe by Siemens that automatically recognizes traffic signs and prevents unintentional speeding. The broad introduction of such new technology, particularly at the automotive manufacturing level, will not only by helping motorists avoid speeding tickets but also reinforce the need for safety and counteract the "revenue raising" argument by overriding the perception that motorists are being tricked into paying fines rather than being encouraged to save lives."

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 in BusinessWeek

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