Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ford Testing a New 'Traffic Monitoring' Device

Posted by michael on from the traffic-on-the-ones dept.

Poletown writes "The Detroit Free Press put out this article today about a new vehicle based 'traffic monitoring' system that Ford is testing. It will report your speed, the road temperature, whether or not your wipers/headlights are active, and even if you've used your anti-lock brakes. Initially, the system will be tested on Ford-owned and municipal vehicles."

2 of 535 comments (clear)

  1. Traffic Cops will soon be a thing of the past by Clemence · · Score: 5, Informative

    "A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one."
    --Henry Ford

    Rental car companies use GPS to clock your speed or location and fine you for speeding or leaving the geographic area covered by your contract. Red light cameras dole out tickets (usually through some government contracting company). EZ-Pass toll systems can help track the movements of drivers. The microprocessors in your car can provide data to help determine fault in auto accidents. I won't even get into OnStar. Sheesh, next thing you know, Anheuser-Busch will be tracking your drinking habits - oh wait. Imaging linking those databases.

    With a simple identification code in each Ford car, the freedom of movement in the U.S. could become very expensive. To me, it's almost more frightening that so many of these functions (and this data) is in private hands than if it were the government getting it itself.

    There will be (actually already is) a flurry of legal wrangling to determine: (1) how the private companies can use this (i.e., when they can disclose or sell it); and (2) under what circumstances the government can get to it and use it.

  2. Re:Good idea that will never work by DanoTime · · Score: 5, Informative

    Supoena!?!? Heck, why bother with all that paperwork?

    A Judge told the FEDS to stop listening in to OnStar