Let Gordon Brown control your speed

Ugh. It might be voluntary at first (like ID cards were supposed to be) but you know there will be people in government keen to make it compulsory in future.
 
Another dumb idea that utterly fails. There are other ways of reducing accidents and cutting emissions, i.e. through education and improving road conditions rather than a blanket speed barrier limit.
 
If they wanted to fit a device to cars to improve safety, perhaps having all cars fitted with breathalysers would be a better idea and eliminate potentially all drink drive related accidents.
 
Actually the BBC report doesn't seem to mention Gordon Brown anywhere and refers to a report from the Commission for Integrated Transport - I have no doubt though that they are all dyed-in-the-wool Marxist Leninists :p

So far as I can see from the very limited information available, they don't "force" anyone to drive at the speed limit, just stop you from exceeding it. The Times carries a more detailed report - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/article2441902.ece and there is an article describing one example of the technology in detail at http://www.speedshield.com/main/products/SSV4.aspx.

According to another report in the Birmingham Mail, in the case of lorry drivers:
All that happens is each driver sits with his foot on the accelerator on the floor. Technology never works perfectly, so basically our dual carriageways are usually blocked by lorries travelling 0.7 mph faster than each other slowly overtaking. And because they haven't got much to do except calculate the distance to the next greasy spoon, drivers drift off, frequently ploughing into queues of halted traffic.
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This may of course only apply to lorry drivers from Birmingham who are bred to be bored :p


Incidentally, whilst being very opposed to speeding, sadly I don't think that these devices are the right answer.

On the other hand, they would probably mostly be fitted on company cars and may stop people whining about speed cameras ONLY being another form of taxation and speed limits being a denial of people's inalienable right to kill complete strangers.
 
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Since such a system would be lunacy for a bike, wouldn't this have the side-effect of encouraging more people to switch to two wheels? Given the competence of the average motorist it's possible that an increase in 'average joe' bikers would skew the accident figures somewhat.
 
Oh yes, let's limit vehicles to 70mph because everyone knows that there are loads of pedestrians, horses and cyclists on motorways etc.

Apologies for the sarcasm but this idea seems a bit misplaced, there are usually more hazards in lower limit areas hence the need for the lower limit. I fail to see how limiting someone to 70 is going to help anyone.
 
Minxy said:
Oh yes, let's limit vehicles to 70mph because everyone knows that there are loads of pedestrians, horses and cyclists on motorways etc.

Apologies for the sarcasm but this idea seems a bit misplaced, there are usually more hazards in lower limit areas hence the need for the lower limit. I fail to see how limiting someone to 70 is going to help anyone.
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It would limit you to 30 in 30 areas too ;) It limits you to the limit on all roads.
 
dirtydog said:
It would limit you to 30 in 30 areas too ;) It limits you to the limit on all roads.
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Begging your pardon Sir, I have obviously completely misread the article.:rolleyes: @ me!

Limiting you to the lower limits may possibly be a good idea especially for use around schools and the like. I stand by what I said about 70 limits though. Knowing I could accelerate out of mischief if necessary I find somewhat a comfort.
 
I quite like the idea of this, I spend/waste a lot of time checking the speedo so this would save a lot of effort.

The ability to turn it off would also be useful for B roads etc :p
 
Minxy said:
Oh yes, let's limit vehicles to 70mph because everyone knows that there are loads of pedestrians, horses and cyclists on motorways etc.

Apologies for the sarcasm but this idea seems a bit misplaced, there are usually more hazards in lower limit areas hence the need for the lower limit. I fail to see how limiting someone to 70 is going to help anyone.
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If you read the link in post #1, you may see that the intention behind this proposal includes cutting carbon emissions. I believe that it would also involve fuel and insurance savings for businesses and I understand that it would be accompanied by significantly reduced speed limits (e.g. 20mph as opposed to 30mph) near schools, shops, etc.

Why 70mph, who knows? The French seem perfectly happy with 130kph on their toll roads in the dry and 110kph when the road surface is wet.

As it happens, I believe that where variable speed limits (e.g. 50mph) have been introduced on the M25 and M42, it has actually reduced journey times during busy periods. Being a small, crowded country, maybe we should go for variable speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways with a maximum of 100kph :)
 
I can't believe this bit
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.
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I don't know about you lot but i really don't like the sound of that.

Surely this might end up being dangerous.
What if you were on a dual carriageway, both drivers doing the limit (no overtaking being done) and an emergency vehicle wants past. Old Doris in the left hand lane didnt spot the emergency vehicle, what you going to do? Surely this must have some sort of override?
 
So the foreign tourists that pop across in their own cars will have one of these fitted as they enter the UK then? Many a time I've seen foreign plated cars hammering it up the motorway.

Whether we admit it or not most of us probably speed purposely at least on the motorway. It may not be legal but when overtaking I have broken the limit to safely pass something and pull back in. You may say that's bad driving and I should pay more attention to what's oncoming but how many times has it looked clear and then something has appeared from nowhere or you've been sat behind a queue of traffic and have had enough of the fact that no-one is bothering to overtake?
 
Kitchster_uk said:
Before we do this, how about only selling blunt knives? I have 10 knives in the kitchen capable of killing people, lets ban them!!! And whilst we're at it, let's ban chocolate for making people fat (adding cream cakes, rich food, alcohol, fags), porn, violent movies, dangerous sports and activities - hell, anything remotely fun.

How about Mr Brown ****s off back to Scotland tbh.
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My sentiments exactly :)
 
It's only a matter of time before new vehicles get some form of blackbox/speed restrictor fitted to them,it's been banded about for 10 years and it's still no closer to happening so I wouldn't worry about it.
What gets me is people still using the speed kills message,even though it's been proven that speed is only a direct factor in about 10% of road deaths.it's more dangerous doing 70mph in fog than 100mph on a clad road with good visibility.
 
'the computer smoothly reduces speed to stay within the speed limit'

Looked like it was a pretty rapid change in speed from 60 to 40mph in the video. Yet another brainless policy by a failing political party trying to stay in power. Whatever happened to independant thought and letting people make their own decisions?

Long live the safe speed campaign!

ineed2upgrade said:
it's more dangerous doing 70mph in fog than 100mph on a clad road with good visibility.
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Exactly! With one of these systems in cars, most brainless drivers would blat past the school gates at 3pm at bang on 30mph "'coz it's the speed limit, duh!" :rolleyes:

Actually, would be quite funny the day the system crashes, and everyone on the motorway is suddenly slowed down to 20mph! haha!
 
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Bobster said:
What if you were on a dual carriageway, both drivers doing the limit (no overtaking being done) and an emergency vehicle wants past. Old Doris in the left hand lane didnt spot the emergency vehicle, what you going to do? Surely this must have some sort of override?
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It can do; have a look at http://www.speedshield.com/main/products/SSV4.aspx. This system has a software configurable override function allowing the driver to obtain more throttle for overtaking if the accelerator is pushed to the floor. It also offers an Emergency Service Vehicle Proximity Warning. Download the .PDF, it makes interesting reading.


As to the comments about the system applying the brakes to reduce your speed, the video clip clearly states that it would "smoothly reduce the throttle and brake" to reduce your speed.
 
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