Government transport advisers want to remotely control your car..

[Stoo]

BBC News - Calls for 'speed-limiting' cars

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.

I think we've had wind of this before - what's the betting that the "advisers" are linked to the insurance industry?

Yup, it's voluntary, but all your premiums will sky-rocket if you don't sign up..

[[GSV]Myocardial]

I wonder what happens when they create a new road and like current Sat Nav's, applies your brakes and slows the car to a stop as your off road!

Sounds like another nice way to implement a few stealth taxes and insurance premium hikes

[Haiku32]

The drivers own judgement is better than any device. I'd feel really unsafe knowing that my brakes could randomly go on whilst I'm driving.

[idlehanz]

lol: I remember talking to some engineers from MIRA some years back now about something similar that was being developed and researched, backed by govt, but it was canned when the development was leaked and there was a bit of a public out cry about 'big brotherism'. Could this be the very same old thing resurfacing some 5 years or so down the line? I guess the money's been spent.
What has to make you laugh is that MIRA, who were asked to develop it, themselves think it's a crap idea!! lol.

Although having said that, using it as a crime and punishment tool might be a good idea. ie instead of a driving ban when you reach 12pts, your car speed is chastised. Or perhaps if your caught by the rozzers driving like a cock!! Seems a fair use of this type of tech.

Thought I'd search for this original leak/story, and it seems my 5 years is more like 8!! How time zooms!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/590387.stm

[idlehanz]

Note: The car in the video posted is on an '02 plate!!! Has to be the govt having another tickle with old tech, that would help generate some additional tax revinues. They have all ANPR sewn up now to help detect prevent and minimise vehicles on road without tax insurance and MOT. So it figures that an increase insurance and the corresponding insurance premium tax would be another good way to get a few quid more from us to pay for the extra debt recently acrued.

[GSV]Myocardial

Sounds like another nice way to implement a few stealth taxes and insurance premium hikes

Indeed it is: Why they continue to choose to treat the public like the idiots they are themslves remains a mystery??
Better to just be up front and honest. ie 'We are going to increase insurance tax, but if you have one of these speed limit things installed you can have reduced insurance and insurance tax rate.' 'Take your pick!'

[Vimeous]

This and I expect successive governments will continue to pursue this type of scheme it is potentially so lucrative while appearing socially moral.

My worry is how long it is before legislation is passed to allow the 'black boxes' fitted to modern cars to directly impact insurance claims. Many already record data in the seconds leading to and during an accident. It's not inconcievable that an insurance company covering an accident caused by one party may not payout because the party they hit was 5mph over the speed limit.

In fact the way future motoring legislation and road-pricing is shaping up we are a short few years from loosing our freedom to travel privately.
To me the concept of personal private transport includes the ability to choose when and where I travel using whatever vehicle I have at my disposal. Above all it's my business were I'm going and the data of that journey should not be recorded by anyone other than myself. It is my journey to take not someone elses to allow.

/rant over

[kalniel]

Well someone on Hexus used to complain that they felt it was too dangerous to look at your speedometer in areas with speed cameras.. with this they don't need to worry about that any more

(sounds just like the french one to me - you can override it at any point)

[PeterStoba]

This reminds me of when i see hovercraft transport idea somewhere, they ran on fixed routes and have a sat nav sorta thing, anybody know what i mean? Was on a motoring show, might have been Clarkson's...

[Sinizter]

Nice. So what happens when you have emergency services come up behind and want to get past you on a road with space only for one car ?

Or when you want to accelerate away to get out of a dangerous situation ?

****ing nonsense.

[kalniel]

Nice. So what happens when you have emergency services come up behind and want to get past you on a road with space only for one car ?

Or when you want to accelerate away to get out of a dangerous situation ?

You just put your foot down and it's over-ridden.

[Saracen]

You just put your foot down and it's over-ridden.

Wouldn't that hurt?

[PeterStoba]

wouldn't that hurt? :d

lmfao!

[Stoo]

They're going all out on this on I think - It's been all over the local news here as well as the regional..

They did stress that it had "an over-ride button", but what's the betting that gets flagged and logged in a database somewhere..

This combined with all of the other mad schemes the government is coming up with is making it more and more like 1984..

Or indeed, V for Vendetta..

[[GSV]Myocardial]

The big problem I see with any scheme that is being thought about at this moment in time is the cost issue. As a company the first thing that most do in hard financial times is reign in their spending on new weird and whacky things that might offer benefits. The government seems to be believing it's own babble that it has a licence to print money we don't have and continue to spend by taking on more and more debt.

Many of the current projects being funded by government are seriously over budget such as the national database for the NHS, many MOD backed projects to bring us into the late twentieth century, let alone bring us fully into the twenty first, the Olympics is becoming the next cash cow and how many others are there that we don't really have much understanding of.

When are they going to realise that they have run out of free cash and that they have to start spending our money on only the essentials and not the next hair brained scheme to wrap us all in Big Brothers cotton wool.