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Smart Car, Or Dumb Idea?
Lee writes: "this article on BBC News (& This longer one on New Scientist, with a nice diagram) talks about an 'artificial passenger' being developed by IBM. It's built into the dashboard of your vehicle and will talk to you, tell you jokes, and monitor your responses ... why? To keep you from falling asleep at the wheel,and adding yourself to the 30% of road traffic accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel. Some of the countermeasures are entertaining, but there's no mention of electrocution. Damn!"
While driving I talk on the cell phone to keep awake. ...Wait a second.
-davidu
# Hack the planet, it's important.
I'd want it only if I could have Robert Picardo's voice programmed into it:
Arnold: "Where am I?"
Car: "You're in a Johnny Cab."
Arnold: "How did I get here?"
Car: "The door opened - you got in. Hell of a day!"
Now that would be fun!
I found I could even fall asleep while taking notes. My writing would degenerate into a random wavy line. When my head slumped forward, the shock would cause me to wake up for another minute or so.
It is a mental check.
If you find that joke funny it means you are too tired to drive.
Time to pull over and rest your brain.
Minne-snow-da: Winter is comming...
(For the Python-impaired, see this link.)
Yah, telling them not to drive won't do much good, because most people are too fucking self-centered and stupid to accept the *fact* that driving while drowsy puts people's lives in grave danger.
--
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Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
Um, not quite. A fluid, like hot water in a bowl will only tell you that you are accelerating upward in the sense of the plane, not the sense of the ground. Ie, you can do a loop in a plane and not spill your bowl of water, and you can pile-in just fine while pulling positive G's the whole way :-(
Not a pilot, but married to one :-)
Awesome furniture, accessories and cabinetry in Santa Rosa, CA: http://humanity-home.com/
Who's to say that jokes that 90% of the population think are funny, I will think are funny?
... Huh?' at that one...
One of my favorites is:
Q: What's the difference between a duck?
A: One of it's legs is both the same!
I'm sure Joe American will just go 'Duuh
I can just see loading Eliza into this for laughs.
The irony is that an Eliza-like program might actually be a decent enough conversationalist for these purposes.
You're missing the point. If your government spent as much money on mass transit as it does on roads and policing them, public transit would be faster than driving AND safer, and you wouldn't have to buy a car.
Comparing the current state of driving now to the current state of mass transit now is unfair unless the two are equally funded.
I think this just shows us how stupid the idea of individually controlled transportation is. This is just one of the reasons any form of mass transit is 7 times safer than automobiles. This "entertainment" is a high tech kludge to a inherently limited transportation system. As long as any joe in any physical condition can jump behind a wheel of a vehicle, automobiles will continue to be deadly.
It's a pitty that the US government so heavily subsidizes automobiles and gives other forms of transit the shaft, especially with possibility of having other much more technically advanced forms of transit such as high-speed rail and supersonic transport.
I think this is not a good idea. People will get into their cars with a false sense of security (my car will keep me awake). People who drive cars with ABS also tend to drive closer to the car in front of them, and take more risks because their car 'can stop at once if necessary'.
-- Cheers!
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Oh, and a nice selection of up-tempo tunes.
Honestly, if you're feeling tired, don't fuckin' drive! It's been a while since I've have to drive *anywhere*, but back in high school I always knew where the nearest Honeydew or Dunkin Donuts were so I could at least perk myself up for the drive home.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
So help me God if it try's to convince me that "a Door is a Jar!"
Don't forget - IBM has the record for the most patent one year. How many more are like this one???
Yes I totally agree. It is such an obvious fact that people just can't believe it's true. Stupid!
I already posted a comment detailing how to tell if you're sleep deprived...it's simple, really. Too simple for the media to report, apparently. Dumbasses.
Yeah...college students have it bad! Odd how many early sleep studies were skewed because they used sleep-deprived college students! ("Hey, these students sleep 10-11 hours a night for 2 weeks, then they miraculously only need 8 hours a night." -- hence the discovery of sleep debt)
Fortunately, most college students can't afford to drive a car, or can't afford to commute. So, they sleep on the bus.
Truckers, salesmen, executives, and blue collar workers likely are at highest risk of sleeping at the wheel.
Good advice. Unfortunately, I could never get into the napping thing. I always end up too wide awake a few hours lately, and never get back to sleep.
:)
Damn those weekends...going to sleep at 2 or 3 am Friday and Saturday nightmesses up my sleep rhythm for the rest of the week. I'll blame computers...yeah that's the ticket!
Hmmm...that sounds pretty dangerous. Also, I'm pretty sure it was Thomas Edison (the inventor guy) and not Jefferson who attempted this schedule. I could be wrong, but I do know that Edison attempted the same schedule, but his assistants witnessed him dozing for hours when he was supposedly "napping" for 20 minutes!
Now, the claim about the 1.5 to 2 hours of REM sleep being required (and not the typical 8 hours minimum) per day is interesting, but does contradict the research conclusions found in the Promise of Sleep book. Lack of REM didn't affect the subjects, when they were awakened repeatedly during REM sleep, but allowed the total 8 hour requirement of "deep-wave" and other non-REM stages of sleep.
Also, I think this system is extremely dangerous for long driving trips. What happens when you've been driving for more than 2 hours? Hitting REM sleep would likely be involuntary if you adjust to the author's schedule, and will undoubtedly be fatal!
Not in the Promise of Sleep, but it does mention that sex, even at night, seems to have no effect on sleep patterns. In other words, hot sex won't won't change how well you sleep that night.
:)
That's a good thing.
I can't believe this...no one seems to understand the costly effects of sleep deprivation. The article doesn't even point out that people shouldn't be so stupid as to drive when drowsy. Here's a clue. Take two, they're small!
Sleep deprivation, that results in drowsiness during repetitive activities as driving and assembly line work, is one of the leading causes of car accidents at night. Mix in a small amount of alcohol, and you have a potentially lethal situation, even when you're very much under the legal blood alcohol limit. Alcohol + sleep debt = ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.
The problem is, people are too stupid to realize they are sleep deprived. Here's a clue:
1) Complaints that they are always tired (then don't drive at night. Are they stupid? YES!).
2) Do the Stanford sleep test...hold a spoon or loud toy out over the floor while sitting down. Have a timer or clock nearby. Close your eyes. If you fall asleep, you will hear the object hit the floor. If it fell 5 minutes or less after your eyes were closed, you have serious sleep deprivation and probably shouldn't be driving for long periods AT ALL. USE COMMON SENSE FOLKS! If you fall asleep and don't hear anything, you are in serious trouble.
3) Get plenty of sleep. Some people need eight hours of sleep a night, others need more or less. Also, sleep debt is CUMULATIVE. If you require 8 hours of sleep a night, but have only slept 4 hours a night for a week, then you have 4*7=28 hours of sleep debt. The more sleep debt you have, the fast you drop the object in point 2 above. I believe there is a sleep debt maximum (40 hours debt?) but the research is inconclusive.
This should be common sense folks...but unfortunately the media lacks the vision to let the public know these simple facts.
References, easily looked up at Amazon.com:
The Promise of Sleep, by William C. Dement.
The Sleep Thieves, by Stanley Coren
*sigh* It only takes a few minutes to learn all this, folks. Anyone want to buy a book on Hell and Handbaskets?
They could use a black Trans Am, add a cheesy light effect in the front and get actor William Daniels to do the voice.
Detroit should have no problems finding plenty of Insecure Men willing to drive it!
This is a boring sig
gawd yeah...I'm up in northern illinois near chicago and it never fails, some idiot in a 4 wheel drive doing 60 through the snow. They never seem to grok until it's too late that four wheel drive might get you going quicker than me but it's not going to help you stop any quicker.
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these! No one could sleep through *that* :)
- undoware.ca
can't help it, the embodyment of the original M$ joke..."this is where you will go today"
I can see that you are on your way to the Moscone Center, my records indicate that is where LinuCon is taking place. You don't wan't to go there, you might catch a virus or cancer., lets go to Redmond, its much more fun there...*screeeeeech*
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Opportunities multiply as they are seized. --Sun-Tzu
Heh, try a retirement community (beach town) in central florida. The old folks don't even get off the road to stop.
Well, they mentioned systems that look at your eyes and head position. But, true enough, if it isn't intelligent enough to kick in only when you need it, then most people will cut the wire.
I particulary liked the part about it spraying cold water on you as a last resort. Sounds like a Get Smart gag....
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Kit, from the Knight Rider series. One of the oldest on-board computers.
Goes back to the '80s, IIRC. I suppose I'm getting old...
(I don't really care about a smart-assed computer in my car, but a row of LEDs on the front would be incredibly cool.)
WWTTD?
I used to think the same thing. But I've discovered that I can fall asleep to any non-interactive sound source, from Rammstein to the Lain: Cyberia soundtrack to Classical Thunder. Having the 75 mile route memorized, and it being basically unpatrolled by police officers late at night doesn't help either.
I've been lucky enough to escape actual death via sleeping at the wheel, or even an accident. I have a friend who wasn't so lucky; ruined the car and now pays through the roof for insurance (he's also under 18!).
Whenever I have to take my long drive, I try and find a passenger to keep me awake. Having an interaction with a virtual passenger would duplicate half of the effect, the interactive part (but not the fear of killing the passenger himself). I suppose the usefulness of the virtual passenger will be proportionate to the degree which it evolves and changes. But it sounds like something I could really use.
Daniel
K.I.T.T. , does it also have a nice running light with a woosh! sound on the front of the car ?
---
I'll never understand people, the thought of grizzly, fiery death won't keep them up, but Jerry-freaking-Sinfeld will.
-Peter
Making it easier for people to do stupid things (like drive when tired) just encourages them... and unfortunately, the consequences affect more than the stupid (which otherwise would be a reaon to encourage them :)
Sleep deprivation is one reason why I *don't* drive... I get too tired to fast when I drive. I also tend to put the relatively mundane tasks of driving in the background, and think about more pressing matters, which is very dangerous, so I don't do it.
DOS is dead, and no one cares...
DOS is dead, and no one cares...
If there's a Bourne Shell, I'll see you there
Why not just bring along a Furby? Or bring two, so they can talk to each other.
-Legion
Here's the link to the IBM patent for the system.("Sleep prevention dialog based car system", US Patent No. 6236968 ).
Holy shit! I thought only Maryland drivers did that kind of stupid shit.
It's not like it doesn't snow here. They should be able to handle it, but they can't.
I'd much rather have Talkie-Toaster, just in case I need a snack.\ =\=\=\=\
=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=\=
Would it be like the "Automatic Pilot" in Airplane! ?
-
To give you an idea as to the sound levels... The next week their DJ smoked the speaker system (as in, the speakers started smoking from being over-driven.
--
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
Bad idee every time i put Rage Against the Machine in my cd player i get so pummed up i start to drive to fast and verry agressive
42
There are systems designed to detect truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel. An overview is available. I've always wanted to have these on programmer's workstations, with a systemt that tags lines of code based on fatigue level. The correlation with bugs would be interesting.
Actually since I wear glasses it would probably cause more problems as I then wouldn't be able to see where I was going as I now have water all over my glasses.
Why don't they just play sound from a porno clip or something.
No, that would lead to an increase in the already frightening 15% accidents caused by masturbation at the wheel...
First winter rain-
even the monkey
seems to want a raincoat.
-Basho
If the MS Office Helper were a driving assistant...
"I can see that you have your opportunity to turn left." *helper accelerates vehicle and turns vehicle left*
BSOD!
*Car stops in middle of road*
</shamless humor>
*sigh*
Sorry.. Could not help myself
LOL, reminds me of some conversations me and my girlfriend had.
Here in Georgia when it rains heavy people get weird. They will begin by flipping on their hazard lites, while not illegal is incredibly annoying.
Then the next phase of driving paranoia kicks in. Phase two is the truly dangerous phase. People randomly slow down in the fast lane or rapidly change lanes going at a much slower speed than the vehicles behind them causing near immediate stops.
It is down-right distracting to watch a highway full of blinking hazard lights. People start pulling off the road left and right. All people have to do is stay in their lane, maintain a good distance between them and the person in frotn of them and keep going at 45-55. Instead people get panicky and perform these rapid lane changes to get off the road or get to the slow lane that really cause people to get hurt.
It is crazy.
The whole time im showing her these kind of people and the way they are driving she is laughing at me. She is from up north so shes quite used to doing 50 in a snow storm. She just thought people driving like this was the funniest thing. Oh well
Jeremy
Means there's a chance it might be ... _funny_?!?!?! No, never! Can't have _funny_ comedy over here, it's the US, it's unconstitutional! Give me the reruns of Friends, Married with Children and Roseanne - laughing's bad for my plastic surgery. ;-)
Grab.
'Nother thing: 4x4 doesn't help you steer or stop. Too many car accidents that I've seen on 401, 417 and Decarie ("of the cavity") expressways have been caused by invulnerable Yentas on cellphones in their Lincoln Navigators. Gimme a break.
I'm not sure if your being silly or not. But anyway.
A 4WD will do a similar thing. But it dose it better. That's why they have taken off in rallying. They can be oversteered going into the corner, like a RWD, but they also have the traction to accalerate/ pull them out of the courners faster.
And yip. and 4WD dosn't do shit to help you steer or stop. But it does help you accelerate. Which of course, in affect, can help you steer.
The thing is of course, you maybe able to travel at the same speed, but you have much less room for error, esspecialy in a FWD, which tend to turn into 1 ton sledges with no steering.
One reason, of course, was that if you dozed off at all and the plane left straight-and-level you were guaranteed to be completely alert when you woke up, seconds later.
Another reason is that much of the military equipment churned out for the war wasn't of the highest possible quality. The US won WWII with our massive industrial base, and in the heat of things some corners were cut. So yeah, during night flying pilots could use their instruments to tell them they were going up, down, or sideways -- but the coffee never lied.
"We all say so, so it must be true!"
This isn't as much "normalization" as it is "don't take so many drugs when you're designing tables."
Why don't you talk to real people with a cell phone?
I thought that Ford (or someone else, I forget who exactly) did a study and showed that any interaction with electronic devices in cars took away the concentration from the road. This was even a problem if you interacted with the device like you would a human. This was not a problem when interacting with a real human though. Hopefully someone out there has more information on that study.
If I could get Hollie from Red Dwarf installed in my car, I think I'd do it.
As long as it wasn't that silly toaster that just wanted to make me toast and crumpets... that would be a disaster.
The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. - Benjamin Franklin
It doesn't even have to be annoying. A loud buzz if you close your eyes for half a second or more. That should be enough to remind you that taking a break and stretching your legs a little would be a smart move.
However, the idea of a "virtual passenger" really offends me. I don't want another Eliza to offend my stupidity (or intelligence for that matter).
They should make it simple, and something that works for responsible drivers. If they have to splash someone in the eyes to wake him up, it's already far too late, and no safety system on the planet, except perhaps something taking control of the car, could help.
Actually, it was just an Expedition, in Team Knight Rider. And rumor has it it's still going to be a car in the rumored new series.
Slashdot's token middle-aged housewife
The idea of something that can passively detect drowsiness is intriguing, but from the articles, it seems this technology can't tell if you're sleepy without activately talking with you. So it will be a distraction when you're wide awake (99% of the time if you're a remotely compotent driver), and still be a distraction when you're drowsy until it does whatever it does to wake you up entirely. Seems like this would do more harm than good.
An "on / off" switch is appealing, but only useful if you remember to turn it on when you're drowsy, which you can't bet on.
My mom is not a Karma whore!
I can see it now...
"It looks like you're trying to take a left turn. Do you need help? If you have right of way, click here. If you do not have right of way, click here. If you aren't sure, click here. If the light is red..."
2) Mother mode: "Slow down!"
3) Wife mode: "Let's just ask that guy there and where _______ is."
4) Mother-in-law mode: "He's trying to kill us! I know it! My husband, god rest his soul, knew how to drive and it wasn't like this! You kids these days don't think about anyone but yourselves."
5) Little sister mode 1: "The mall is thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat way!
6) Little sister mode 2: "Let me off at the corner. I'd just die if my friends saw me getting a ride with you!"
7) Your driving teacher: "Hands at 10 & 2! Pay attention! This ain't worth a teacher's salary..."
Does anyone care to speculate on the lame jokes this thing might tell? [1] .
Will you be the first to hack your buddy's wheels to scream "COP!!!!" at 1:30a.m.?
woof.
[1] It won't be anything good like "What's the difference between a tire and 365 blowjobs? The tire is a Goodyear; 365 blowjobs is a very good year."
Just don't get distracted by it's jokes.
" Today a family was killed after the driver of thier minvan swirved after a spliting pain in his side after a joke was told by his car..... And no we don't know what joke. In other news a.....
Does anyone actually have a Java program designed to control air traffic, or for the operation of a nuclear facility?
Better yet... have a sleepy button that summons one of the OnStar(tm) dweebs. When they get sleepy calls, they can scream at you, tell jokes, etc. Maybe comedians could try out their new material on drivers? Electrodes are probably the best bet though.
"Would it kill you to put down the toilet seat?" -- Maya Angelou
Brilliance. (sigh)
Well, as long as it doesn't use that valium drenched voice that Hal had in 2001. That would put me to sleep even if I were wide awake.
"Dave... Dave... Dave, are you listening to me?"
--
In spite of the suggestions and all the tests that I have made, I have not cavato a spider from the hole.
It would become a common occurence to see someone all alone with their car beating the car-poop out of it.
Or bringing it into the repair shop for an Attitude adjustment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_U.S._Election_c
Airplanes have been talking to their pilots for years...
PULL UP! PULL UP! PULL UP!
---
Your door is ajar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_U.S._Election_c
A button on the steering wheel might be more reliable and affordable. If your finger slips off the button while the car is moving, it could beep or something. Train engineers have to press a button every few minutes to keep the train moving. Similar idea.
does this qualify me to drive in the carpool lane?
Call this a smart car if you will, but truthfully I dont see a difference from listening to a radio commentary and turning it up loud if you are falling asleep.
I wonder if this is like the "E-"Whatever that could gain media attention for having an E in the front of their name.
I would imagine that every once in a while the computer would need to go online to get some more dirty limericks or something. If you have a limited number of jokes then it might not be too long before you have heard them all. If telling the same old joke again doesn't get the driver up then the computer will be forced to tell a new joke about the man from Nantucket.
If you are driving 55mpg in a blinding snowstorm you need to distracted by your "passenger" yelling at you to SLOW down.
Nahhh... Wuss. I grew up in Ottawa and Montreal, Canada. I know a thing or two about driving in snow.
For one thing, you need rear wheel drive. Four wheel drive and front wheel drive just don't do the same thing. A rear wheel drive car or truck will actually take corners faster on snowy roads than it will on dry pavement... assuming the driver is well versed in the judicious use of the fishtail.
'Nother thing: 4x4 doesn't help you steer or stop. Too many car accidents that I've seen on 401, 417 and Decarie ("of the cavity") expressways have been caused by invulnerable Yentas on cellphones in their Lincoln Navigators. Gimme a break.
Finally, and most importantly, snow is soft, so when you hit that car in front of you, at least you're padded. [grin]
Seriously, winter driving is an art, and if the conditions are right, 55MPH in a snowstorm is no big deal - but I wouldn't go any faster than that.
Novel use for an old power steering pump.
Fire and Meat. Yummy.
Why not just have a simple voice command "off!"....???
An Education is the Font of All Liberty
But, if it's as repetitive as all "artificial intelligence" things of this nature, it'll drive you CRAZY after a while. You won't have to worry about sleeping and driving off the road and killing yourself. But your tendency to explode into violent road rage will increase. And if somebody hacks it to insult you, make you mad, etc. it would be even worse ;-)
This is great! Instead of having to talk to my imaginary friend Tony while I'm driving, I can talk to this instead! I hope Tony doesn't get jealous...
But what I really need when I'm driving late night stretches is a virtual backseat driver. "You're going too fast! Stop tailgating that semi truck! Shouldn't we pull over? I have to pee! Why did you buy that expensive CD player instead of upgrading my CPU?"
Even Jesus hates listening to Creed.
Last I checked, radios tend to keep me awake whenever I'm studying and need to stay up late. Damn, I just can't wait untill they figure out how to fit a radio into my car.
After I have received the wisdom of good teaching, I will untiringly teach all people. - The Teachings of Buddha
If they're thinking about internet connectivity for these cars - why not do the obvious thing and connect drivers over the internet?
Better than an artificial conversation - talk to someone over the other side of the world about why they're driving late, and where they're going.
That'd be better than any artificial computer-generated conversation, I'll bet.
Mmm... if they build these... I will replace the voice with that of Hal from 2001 and spend a little time giving it the attitude of Hal.
Computer, unlock doors.
I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
This type of thing sends the wrong message. If you're tired enough to do something stupid like fall asleep at the wheel you ought to pull over and take a nap rather than force yourself to stay awake. Having something like this in your car just allows one to delude themselves into thinking it will be alright to keep driving while exhausted.
Yes. And if I know IBM right (I used to work there), you will only be able to find it if you read some obscure "IBM Internal Use Only" document. :-)
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morcego
No, you got it all wrong. The point is that having jokes written by IBM engineers will be more profitable. Guess how many jokes does it take for you to throw the darn machine out of the window ? Then, you have to buy a new one
---
morcego
Does it go 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
What are the chances that this "innovation" will bore you more than the endless road? Couldn't you just use the radio -- maybe some nice techno, always good for driving...
Reliable, Great Value Hosting: $7.95/mo 2.4G/120G
If you have to put up with an artifical passenger, maybe they should include an optional mannequin so you can drive in the car pool lane.
down south in the midwest(Iowa here, i'm originally a St Louis boy), we get a lot more ice than you do up north. it's warm enough to melt some of the snow, which then freezes on the road. and even as far north as iowa it's not as bad as down by st louis (where they get freezing rain at least once a year). part of the reason i can put up with the "cold" iowa winters. (i lived in idaho for a bit too... -40degF, -80 with wind).
anyway, driving in a snowstorm at 55 or 60 is trivial, until the road is icy. once there's ice, the very concept of control is a joke.
there is little more fun than snowpacked parking lots... *nostalgic sigh*
Just as long as it wouldn't be smart enough to insult my driving.
--
Two witches watched two watches.
--
Two witches watched two watches.
Which witch watched which watch?
Yeah, let's bring MS's life-saving Intellisense to the dashboard:
"Hey, it looks like you're falling asleep.Would you like me to..."
"What. Give me a blowjob?"
"I don't understand what you mean.Please re-phrase your question. For example: How do I..."
"Fuck off."
Or perhaps:
"A major change in driving style has been detected.You will have to re-activate your car if you want to use the steering wheel or slow down to less than 50 mph. Please click 'Connect' to automatically get a product re-activation code, otherwise you'll have to exit your car immediately."
There is no such thing as 'world peace'.
Sure, I may not be added to the 30% of accidents which are caused by falling asleep behind the wheel. Instead I'll be added to the 70% of accidents caused by drivers being distracted and not paying attention to what's on the road.
:-)
I can see it now, people driving down the road talking to this thing and someone on their cell phone...
Of course, even though I question it's usefulness, the tech is cool though
I'm not really sure if jokes written by IBM engineers will keep me awake or get the car wrapped around the next tree with me asleep... I you want to get a new joke-and-chat file, it will probably be full of hints like 'buy IBM, buy...'
... as long as it uses the voice of Stephen Hawking...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ now you know
Maybe the wartime Navy training was too simplistic. If a dozing pilot pushed the plane into an uncoordinated maneuver in the first hour, hot coffee would definitely spill in his lap. However, if he happened to put the plane into a gentle downward spiral, as long as the rudder and ailerons were properly coordinated, the coffee would stay in the saucer until he flew into the ocean. You can verify this on any airline flight with beverage service. Coffee could work as a turn coordinator but not as an attitude indicator.
For the old Macintosh Talking Moose DA to pop up in the upper left corner of my windshield in the middle of those long, late night drives...
On the other hand, it could come in handy while driving through the hundred mile stretches of farms and booring plains (wyoming comes to mind - no trees anywhere, just scrub).
Reboot macht Frei.
And when Anthrax puts you to sleep, just pull over
Reboot macht Frei.
Notice the prototype picture has the wheel on the incorrect, right side of the dash-board... so you can bet it's all British humor. That'll put you to sleep if anything, or even prompt you to drive off the road on purpose and kill yourself.
Why don't they just play sound from a porno clip or something. That'll keep you up.
If you are driving 55mpg in a blinding snowstorm you need to distracted by your "passenger" yelling at you to SLOW down.
I'll bet it has an "off" switch.
-J5K
The libertarian solution to the failures of capitalism is to apply more capitalism til the failures are fixed.
Putting the radio on has been shown not to keep drivers awake for significantly longer than usual. The same goes for winding down the window. The only safe thing to do if you're losing concentration while driving is to stop and rest. Have a coffee or a coke to get the caffeine levels up, or take a 15 minute nap. But for your own sake and those of other road users, STOP!
Incidentally, I'm not convinced the "smart computer" idea will help much, either. There is now overwhelming evidence that using a mobile phone while driving is a Bad Idea. There is a significant body of evidence that says that it's still a Bad Idea even if it's set up with a hands-free kit; they give a false sense of security, but still cause much the same problems. However, these problems don't seem to apply if you're talking to a real life passenger, who will tend to shut up if you're approaching a hazard and need to concentrate. So, which is my "smart computer" going to be, the ignorant passenger who distracts, or the smart passenger who knows when to shut up? Thought so.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
OK. In that particular case, maybe waking your friend up would have helped. The point is that you were aware of his need to concentrate. Someone on a mobile isn't.
You aren't by any chance someone who uses a cell phone while driving, are you? This is almost as silly as the argument that habitual speeders use. "You can't prove my speeding caused the accident." You're still ten times more likely to kill a pedestrian you hit at 40mph than 30mph, even if they cause the accident.
In this case, though, I think it very definitely is a causality relationship. I do around 20,000 miles per year (a couple of hours driving a day). I see a lot of people trying to drive while using a mobile phone. You can clearly see the points where they're not fully in control of their vehicle, for example because they're changing gear with one hand, holding a mobile with the other and trying to steer with their knees. I saw someone nearly hit a child outside a school in exactly that situation just last week.
You can argue that only 18 fatalities over the last nine years on UK roads have been confirmed as having mobile phone use as the primary cause. They were a contributory factor in several more. Many more non-fatal accidents are being confirmed as caused primarily by mobile phone use every year. The only reason so few are fatal is that other drivers are taking evasive action to avoid a collision or to reduce its effect. That's no thanks to the mobile user, though.
In fact, there was a program on TV in the UK a couple of weeks back. They installed a camera in the car of a guy who habitually used his mobile while on the road. The number of near-misses he had just in the time they filmed him was staggering.
But perhaps you are still in denial, and need more objective evidence. For a long time now, road safety groups have been testing the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving by putting a test subject in a simulator and monitoring their performance. They are now starting to use the same kinds of test on mobile users. The results speak for themselves: reaction time is down, and there are "gaps" in concentration and/or car control where the mobile user is totally unable to avoid an accident even where they see it coming. That's about as causal as you can get.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
It seems we agree on pretty much everything after all. :-) Just to clear up a couple of points...
Yes, I think doing 45 past a school is an inappropriate use of speed. No, I don't think 70 in a 65 is likely to be inappropriate.
I think most speed limits in the UK are actually pretty well set, but I'd like to see a few changes.
As for the "pedestrian walking in the road" thing, I'm in two minds. Obviously you can't always avoid an accident when a drunk pedestrian steps out in front of you, whatever speed you're doing. However, on UK roads, vehicles always have to give way to pedestrians. We don't have a concept of "no crossing points" the way (if I understand correctly) the US does. If you hit someone who steps out right in front of you while drunk, I believe you get prosecuted for the offence, but you have a defence on the basis of diminished responsibility. In the odd cases I've seen, this is quite unnerving for the driver, but generally gets the right answer, i.e., the driver is cleared in the end.
I think there's merit in either argument, but you have to design the roads and teach the drivers accordingly. If you're going to let drivers assume that no-one's going to cross, you ought to put barriers up at the side of the road to make it awkward for people to do so. Since the vast majority of vehicle-pedestrian accidents are caused by a drunk pedestrian, this might have a big impact on road safety.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
Next it will be locking you out of the car if it decides that you are unable to drive. ;-)
;{)
Open the car doors, HAL
I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.
Phoenix
Phoenix
A couple years ago, I was a passenger in a car, and I shut up when hazzard approached, and we rammed the car in front of us. My friend got pissed, and asked why I didn't scream at him.
:o It would've been funny if it was a drivers manual... :)
Also, I think the statistics that show cell phone cause accidents is pure BS. There are merely associative relationships, not causality relationships. Most people are clothed at the time when involved in a wreck, so does this mean, driving in the nude will be safer? Besides, most accidents are probably caused by morons at the wheel. That means they will probably be a moron no matter what you give them or tell them they can't do. Can't talk on the phone and drive at the same time? Probably the same person who drops a CD on the floor, and ducks down to pick it up while driving 75 on the freeway. One time I saw a guy reading a book while driving
Come visit Portland Oregon. You'll see MAX, the light rail system. They recently expanded it to the west side. It takes a route that manages to miss all the popular places of interest, and manages to miss all the big companies like Intel, etc etc. Instead, it takes a more southerly route that features a stop in front of an abandoned building.... (contractors went chapter 11), and other misc stops at places nobody cares about. Hence, if you look at the train, it is mostly empty after it gets to the transit center. Before you leave, be sure to drive on the carpool lane. Its only a carpool lane from 3 to 6 pm M-F, so you can imagine how (in)effective it is. Not to mention there is no double yellow like LA, so since you have to constantly worry about cars cutting in, the carpool lane almost always moves at the same rate as the rest of the freeway. Not to mention when they put in this lane, they took an existing lane and turned it into a carpool lane. So I-5 used to be 3 lanes, now it is 2.... Wow, that sure helps traffic. Then ODOT takes the federal money, and uses it to build parks and such. In an interview ODOT said it would be a "misappropriation of funds" to use this federal money to widen US-26. They said that is best left to local money.... Hmmm, and I thought this federal money was specifically for the maintenence of federal highways and interstates like US-26?!! Then ODOT goes and "fixes" the interchange between I-5 and OR-217. Now instead of two lanes of I-5 going into one lane on 217, they have two lanes going into two lanes. Sounds good right? Take a look at the merge. It used to be three lanes going onto the freeway, with the right lane being an exit only lane. But now, in their infinite wisdom, it is 3 lanes, with all the lanes merging into one, and that one lane becomes an exit only lane, so you have to merge again, with the two lanes I mentioned above. So now the traffic jam from this is FAAAAAAR worse then before they "fixed" the interchange!!!
Then go visit Los Angeles, and look at the subway system. It features a whole 5 stops. (and how much did this cost?) And take a look at the red line. Instead of travelling along Wilshire which is a huge business area, the residents of Beverly Hills protested saying that the subway will bring in "wierd" people to their neighborhood, so the transit authority obliged and the redline now runs down pico, which is mostly slums/liquor stores. Hmmm, wonder how many people ride that line. A few years ago, when I left LA, the local news had a special piece on the subways. The took in a camera, and showed the train station to be ABSOLUTELY EMPTY!!! The trains were deserted!!! Hmmm, looking at the routes and the number of stops, its a wonder why.... As a liberal arts requirement I had to take a class that talked about LA. They showed that when conceived, the 710 and 210 freeway were supposed to connect, but some protestors didn't want a freeway going in their neighborhood, so they registered some buildings with the historic society. So now as it stands, the 710 and the 210 DO NOT connect because of this, and you have 2 freeways that for all intents and purposes are worthless. Its like an escalator to no-where. Its a little better today, with connectors to other freeways, but life would've been soooooo much better, had this freeway actually connect long beach to pasadena like it was supposed to.
(There was at least one time when someone hit the floor. Did I mention that some of this stuff was BORING!?)
:) Anyways, one time, I opened my eyes, and the prof was looking right at me and said, "Now I understand my lectures can be boring, and I don't mind if you take a nap, but please refrain from snoring as those around you may be trying to listen"... The next day, I was wide awake for the entire 2 hour lecture, and the guy next to me was chuckling at the break. I was like whats so funny? He said that he has never seen me awake for more than 10 minutes in that class.... In case anyone is wondering why I didn't just go home after the break, it was because this prof was famous for giving pop quizzes after the break, becaues usually after the break, 3/4 of the people head home. I lived off campus too, so it was pretty easy for me to just stop in, and get a 2 hour nap before I head home ;) One time my freshmen year, in my calculus class, I was really beat. I rested my head on my back-pack, and closed my eyes. When I re-opened my eyes, the room was empty! Nobody even bothered to wake me up :p
My instructor was sooooo boring, I used to just kick my feet up and take a nap. (The angle of the chairs were so perfect, that if you kick up your feet on the chair infront of you, you would be almost horizontal
I'm not talking saying it does. I hate the guys who mess with statistics and don't understand them as much as you do; they piss off the people who need to be informed, and they don't help the people trying to inform them.
,including voice activated hands-free phones. Also, people talk about the number of accidents being "caused" by cell phones. And then they go and legislate against them. When in actuality, there are better things to legislate against that will save more lives. (I'd post links, but I don't have them off hand). I read in many places that things like fiddling with the stereo/tape/CD deck causing more accidents. I've even read somewhere that people trying to eat while driving causes by far many many more accidents then cell phone use.
Heh heh, that pretty much says it all... I didn't mean to imply that these things weren't causality, I just meant thats whats in the "database", and when taken out individually (out of context), and used to show "evidence", it is inconclusive without the rest of the story. In this example, speed could've contributed, but like you said, the most likely suspect was the intoxication, and ultimately the running the red light or even the pedestrian.
Also, you said you are ten times likely to kill at 40, even if it was the pedestrians fault? Where did you get that statistic? Even if it was his fault? If it was his fault, who cares what you were doing.
His mother.
Not to sound cold, but I just meant that if the pedestrian broke the law and caused the accident, "crossing at a no-crossing location", then it should not be my responsibility to make sure they don't get killed. As a father, I would say that I would be more pissed at my kid for being stupid then the driver for going 40 in a 30, because in my eyes, the kid was being a complete idiot. Then again, it didn't happen to me, so I'd probably change if it happened. The closest I got, is back in college, my lab partner was driving his car, and struck and killed a pedestrian in the street, who was the owner of the cafe in my apartment. It was very sad, but the pedestrian crossed at a location where there was a sign saying, "No pedestrian crossing", and the pedestrian was also under the influence. My lab partner's girlfriend who was the passenger was seriously injured, and her family successfully sued the pedestrian's family. Now I can't say that I agree with what happened, but that's just what I experienced.
I dislike the phrase "Speed Kills", because it doesn't. However, inappropriate use of speed unquestionably does.
I somewhat agree. It depends how you define inapproprate. Sure, driving 45 in a school zone is absolutely rediculous. Driving 70 in a 65 is not. Its the differential in speed that is dangerous.
You're starting to sound like one of those idiots I drive past every morning who, like most drivers, thinks he's much better than he actually is. You probably drive a Volvo, because it makes sure you're pretty safe.
This is probably the only thing I disagree with. I actually do think I'm a good driver, but I only say that because I always had a passion for cars since a kid, so I actually took a few classes on driving with some friends in college. You know, driving a special camry to simulate different conditions etc etc. And no, I don't drive a volvo, because frankly, I don't like them. And I do drive with the presumption that everyone around me is an idiot, and I drive accordingly. (The first thing we learned)... Also, I would not drive 45 in a school zone... In fact I think I do drive safely. In the 10 years I've been driving, (knocking on wood while saying this), I've never been in a car accident, other then being rear-ended on occasion, and I've never been guilty of a traffic violation. Getting back to the cell phone thing, I didn't mean to sound like I was hard-nosed against its ban. I just meant:
In states like NY, (I believe), they banned all cell phones in cars
this is better than setting a 30 limit, and then putting in "speed reducing measures" (chicanes, speed bumps, etc) that force you to slow down. If it's not safe to do 30, then, well, it's not safe to do 30, and the limit should reflect that. If it is safe, take the ****ing bumps away and stop messing up my car.
:)
:p
EXACTLY!!! You would think if there is a street with a 25mph limit, it implies it is safe to do 25. In such a case, they should get rid of those huge @ss speed bumps, that make you slow down to 5mph when you go over them. They should invent like a speed bump that only raises if the sensors in the roadway detect you are going over 25
However, on UK roads, vehicles always have to give way to pedestrians. We don't have a concept of "no crossing points" the way (if I understand correctly) the US does
It gets even more confusing, because in the US, the laws on this vary from state to state. For example in california, a pedestrian always has right of way in a crosswalk. In Oregon, they only have right of way vs the cars on their half of the road. The car has right of way on the other. And if the person crossing is using a walking stick with a red tip, then the pedestrian has right of way, even if they are crossing on a "Don't Walk" signal, and you have the green. I'd like to see that stand up in court. There are some streets/biways here that have a 50mph limit, that round a blind curve, and the only warning is a signal placed right before the blind curve to tell you what color the signal is at the actual intersection. If this signal is green you can bet your @ss that people will be doing 50, so if a pedestrian with a walking stick is at the intersection, one can only pray.
A "kind of related" topic, a thought just occured to me. If you are driving on a cell phone, and the reason for banning them is on the grounds that the person on the other end of the phone can't "warn" you of impending danger, or let you concentrate at oppurtune times, then shouldn't talking to blind passengers be banned too? As well as talking to the little rug-rats sitting in the back playing their gameboys?
Here in the pacific NW, Oregon Dept of Transportation usually lays down gravel on the streets in the winter, when it snows, etc etc. This really screws up your paint. People on the east coast tell me they would rather have gravel and chipped paint then salt and rusted out cars... Well, I guess... However, last year, Oregon Dept of Trans, in their infinite wisdom switched to a MIX of gravel and salt, to increase traction. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.... Next on my list of peeves, are people who leave their studded tires on till July, and when you drive behind them, pieces of the road come flying up into your windshield. In fact walking in the parking lot today when I got to work, I still saw cars with studded tires on... Sheesh...
Anyways, what do they do in the UK? Do they use salt, gravel, etc etc ? Just curious..... A little while back they mounted electronic signs on the freeway here that warn of ice on the surface, yet I see people ignoring them all the time. Reminds me of when I drove to california. In the Mt. Shasta area, there are these electronic signs that says, "Curves ahead. Slow to 45. Your current speed is xxx", and it shows your current speed via/radar. One time I was minding my own business at a gingerly 60, (I've done this curve at this speed, and is quite safe), and this car blew right passed me. The sign lit up and said he was going like 86 or something like that. (I can't remember exactly, it was a few years back) When I rounded the curve, the car was upside down in the embankment. They should've made the sign flash, "Good luck, dope!" , or "Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Just my 2 cents...
-all dead homiez
"Enough of this wretched, whining monkey life." -- Marcus Aurelius, _Meditations_, Book 9, 37
...are we there yet?
http://www.themeparks.ie
Wouldn't it splashing you with water probably cause you to veer off? Since most people would probably flail their arms around if that happened.