Know Your Limits

[Patrick]

A hoary old chestnut this one - I think it was last in the headlined 5 or 10 years ago when the test car was a Ford Escort.

Speed-limiting devices should be fitted to cars on a voluntary basis to help save lives and cut carbon emissions, according to a new report.

The government's transport advisers claim the technology would cut road accidents with injuries by 29%.

I'm all for it - but I think it should be made compulsory. Humankind has shown itself to be incapable of punishing offending motorists appropriately - and practically letting those who kill whilst driving off the hook. Motorway driving should be safer too - as you won't have everyone speeding along only to bunch up at the next bottleneck. The Government could also be shooting itself in the wallet though, for if enough people take it up - then bang goes their income from those strategically placed speed cameras.

Mind you - on a voluntary basis - it's only likely to be the "stick to 55 in the middle lane" old codgers who'll have it installed.

[Alpha Hooligan]

Nobody will buy these.

The governement are control freaks wishing to control every aspect of our lives...and the people who are prone to speeding (because they are reckless or they enjoy it) won't buy them either.


AH

[Patrick]

Just down to the old codgers then! Of course they say it's voluntary now - but in the initial testing a few years ago - the idea was that all cars would be fitted with the technology by a certain time. Chances are that's the route they're going down.

[Alpha Hooligan]

Won't happen mate, the current government are getting booted out in the next election...all their silly ideas will go along with them.

I don't see any other country in the world trying this, because people won't have it...if you wish to voluntarily set a low speed limit, just buy a car with cruise control...

Anyways, would you really trust this gov (with it's FANTASTIC I.T success rate) to drive you and your family around in safety? They'd have you doing 20mph in the fast lane and roaring down tiny little lanes with sharp turns at 90mph...as for me, I wouldn't trust them with a remote control toy car...let alone a real car with ME in it!


AH

[trubble]

It sounds a good idea until you stop to think about it.

Isn't there a less complicated way of making a speed-limiter? Satellite seems unnecessary. Perhaps a guage in a car that simply does not allow the car to go over 70 so your engine still has the power to make it a good drive but you don't have the option to drive the car at the speed. Except, I suppose people will 'pimp' their cars to deactivate the speed-stopper.

It's all a waste of time, education is the only hope.



quotes from the article

But campaign group Safe Speed warns against its use, saying it encourages drivers to enter a "zombie mode".

good point

Ministers are planning to help councils draw up digital maps with details of the legal speed on every road.

disaster waiting to happen like what Alph just said

The speed-limiting devices will then use satellite positioning to check a vehicle's location and when its speed exceeds the limit, power will be reduced and the brakes applied if necessary.

sounds positively dangerous

The Commission for Integrated Transport and the Motorists' Forum, which both advise the government, are calling on ministers to promote a wide introduction of the system.

more wasted time on a dead duck

John Lewis, from the Motorists' Forum, told BBC Breakfast
"But we believe that the system should be a voluntary system, that the drivers decide if they have fitted to their car or not, and that they decide if they want to over-ride the speed limit - that should be their choice," he said.

so it's pointless half the time

You've taken the responsibility away from the driver and that is not [good] for road safety
Claire Armstrong
Safe Speed

good point again

There would also be a positive impact on emissions and fuel consumption, he added.

Not that again... Get lost.

Jon York, fleet manager for British Gas, whose vans are already limited to 70mph, told BBC Radio 5 Live the system had reduced road incidents for the company.

But he said the introduction of technology had to be combined with safety education.

"It does aid road safety, it does reduce incidents, but it is part of a wide-ranging number of initiatives within British Gas and one of those is driver training because you have to change people's behaviour."

Hope the ministers are taking that point on board.

[Patrick]

Studies have proved though that if everyone stuck to the speed limits on motorways, then there would be no congestion! The best way to help drivers reduce speed of course would be to have a 4 inch blade sticking out of the steering wheel!

[trubble]

;D

[sesley]

i bet all the people that want this are old people who drive Hondas and Micras at 40 in 60 zones, frustrating the queue behind them wanting to over take.

[trubble]

Perhaps the satellite could also speed up people's cars when required!

[Patrick]

Dec 30, 2008 14:28:29 GMT sesley said:

i bet all the people that want this are old people who drive Hondas and Micras at 40 in 60 zones, frustrating the queue behind them wanting to over take.

Wasn't so long ago when it was the Allegro and Maxi brigade!

[housesparrow]

Dec 30, 2008 12:36:21 GMT Patrick said:

Studies have proved though that if everyone stuck to the speed limits on motorways, then there would be no congestion! The best way to help drivers reduce speed of course would be to have a 4 inch blade sticking out of the steering wheel!

So how does that work? Logic tells me that the faster you drive the sooner you get there, so congestion should be reduced.

or is it the argument that the faster you drive, the more miles you will choose to cover, this increasing the overall number of cars?

[Patrick]

It's rather like a "Slinky" toy. If you imagine all the cars like a coiled spring - at the parts where the Slinky is moving slowest, all the coils are bunched up. Where it's moving downstairs rapidly the coils are farther apart. If everyone is zooming along - but have to brake suddenly - it has a bunching up effect as all the cars behind starts to brake - and then has a ripple effect right down the motorway, is what "they" have discovered. Which explains a lot about the M25 - being round.

The same analogy could be applied to the British economy, oddly enough.

[housesparrow]

Yes, I can see how that would cause a bottleneck - but the overall travelling times would not necessarily be slower