Vigilantes needed

[VectraMan]

We must have the techonology now for smart road signs which could interact with a modern car. Car enters 30 zone, car detects speed limit via transmitter on sign, car becomes limited to say 35mph until end of 30 zone. Encourage take up of technology by offering insurance discount to cars fitted with technology.

Why 35 if it's a 30?

I drove to France a month or so back and every little village seemed to have those digital signs that show you the speed you're doing, sometimes with a smiley face to tell you if it's good or bad. I don't know why we don't do that more here; pretty simple really and public shaming and guilt works a lot better than a vague threat that you might get caught.

[d000hg]

We must have the techonology now for smart road signs which could interact with a modern car. Car enters 30 zone, car detects speed limit via transmitter on sign, car becomes limited to say 35mph until end of 30 zone. Encourage take up of technology by offering insurance discount to cars fitted with technology.

We have the technology based on how accurately my phone's GPS app knows the speed limits.

And some cars already have speed limiters based on GPS... mostly super-fast cars which are limited to 130 unless they detect you are on a race track (seriously).

[BrilloPad]

Why 35 if it's a 30?

Suppose you need to accelerate to get out of trouble?

[ZARDOZ]

Why 35 if it's a 30?

I drove to France a month or so back and every little village seemed to have those digital signs that show you the speed you're doing, sometimes with a smiley face to tell you if it's good or bad. I don't know why we don't do that more here; pretty simple really and public shaming and guilt works a lot better than a vague threat that you might get caught.

We have some of those around here, not sure how effective they are. Re 35 was trying to factor in some flexibility, just a fag packet idea, I guess it could be 30. Ulitmately it's the driver's responsibility. But I bet a lot of drivers speed because modern cars feel slower at higher speeds compared to older cars, and sometimes its just keeping up with everyone else. Braking times may have reduced but thinking times are still as slow as they ever were.

A maximum speed would remove any pressure as the majority of cars would be at a legal speed, I doubt that is the case in most places now. I know the 30 zone at the end of my road regularly has cars doing 45-50 and most are breaking the 30mph.

[VectraMan]

We have some of those around here, not sure how effective they are. Re 35 was trying to factor in some flexibility, just a fag packet idea, I guess it could be 30. Ulitmately it's the driver's responsibility. But I bet a lot of drivers speed because modern cars feel slower at higher speeds compared to older cars, and sometimes its just keeping up with everyone else. Braking times may have reduced but thinking times are still as slow as they ever were.

A maximum speed would remove any pressure as the majority of cars would be at a legal speed, I doubt that is the case in most places now. I know the 30 zone at the end of my road regularly has cars doing 45-50 and most are breaking the 30mph.

Problem is if the manufacturers fitted a device to limit your speed and you still got done for speeding (because it was 35 instead of 30), everybody would be suing the manufacturers for not doing it properly. Which is why it'll never happen: nobody wants the liability.

[vetran]

Problem is if the manufacturers fitted a device to limit your speed and you still got done for speeding (because it was 35 instead of 30), everybody would be suing the manufacturers for not doing it properly. Which is why it'll never happen: nobody wants the liability.

there is a certain amount of leeway before cameras go off 10% + 2 mph was common.

Interfering with a vehicles speed is inherently dangerous.

I'm not sure how driverless cars will perform but I suspect it will be scary / amusing seeing the wrinkles crashed out.

[jmo21]

Problem is if the manufacturers fitted a device to limit your speed and you still got done for speeding (because it was 35 instead of 30), everybody would be suing the manufacturers for not doing it properly. Which is why it'll never happen: nobody wants the liability.

This.

From a tech point of view this has probably been feasible for a long time.

Liability is the issue.

Was it on here in the Monday links ages ago the story about people forgetting their child in their car who then die of heat?

Folk in the US had invented a car seat that emits an alarm if the driver leaves the car with the child in it. But they can't get it past the legal process because of the liability when the device might fail.

[darmstadt]

We must have the techonology now for smart road signs which could interact with a modern car. Car enters 30 zone, car detects speed limit via transmitter on sign, car becomes limited to say 35mph until end of 30 zone. Encourage take up of technology by offering insurance discount to cars fitted with technology.

My new BMW could have something similar but as it was an option I said no I could also have had something to stop me getting to close to the car in front but that would have taken the fun out of harassing Audi drivers

[yasockie]

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Interfering with a vehicles speed is inherently dangerous.

You mean applying gas and braking?
Yes indeed but that is what people do everyday.

Most hypercar have their top speed electronically limited anyway, albeit not a such lowe speeds of course. 300mph for Veryon is more likely.
Like many other I chose not to get the 'safety' options in car where it does the braking for me etc.
The car for me a lot of my generation has been one of the few bastions of freedom - just roam wherever at whatever speeds you want.
Now this idea is long gone, but when I see a nice, long stretch of the road, I like to feel the freedom to put the pedal to the metal if I felt like it.
I won't necessarily do it, but freedom is a state of mind I guess

[vetran]

You mean applying gas and braking?
Yes indeed but that is what people do everyday.

Most hypercar have their top speed electronically limited anyway, albeit not a such lowe speeds of course. 300mph for Veryon is more likely.
Like many other I chose not to get the 'safety' options in car where it does the braking for me etc.
The car for me a lot of my generation has been one of the few bastions of freedom - just roam wherever at whatever speeds you want.
Now this idea is long gone, but when I see a nice, long stretch of the road, I like to feel the freedom to put the pedal to the metal if I felt like it.
I won't necessarily do it, but freedom is a state of mind I guess

Its not freedom its safety, 'what the f*** the dam thing has got a mind of its own crunch'