Intelligent Road Studs

Copley writes "The BBC have a short story about 'intelligent' cat's eyes (reflective road studs). I remember reading about the principle of these years ago. It seems that they've reached the real-world trial stage. The whole concept is pretty cool - the studs monitor weather and traffic speeds and change their colour accordingly. As you drive along, rather than see your own headlights reflected, you see a line of active lights indicating what you can expect ahead of you: stationary traffic, ice, etc. As I recall, one idea proposed was for your own car to leave a trail of lights behind it, the length of which related to your speed. The trail thus indicated the 'danger-you-are-too-close-you-moron' zone behind you. Drivers could then avoid driving within another car's trail. Neat idea, but I somehow doubt even the most technical of safety systems is ever going to change the driving habits of some of the brain-dead, tail-gating idiots I often have to share the roads with... Perhaps intelligent road studs with assault weaponry to take out bad drivers would be more useful!"

Comments

Re:I hate tailgaters

[photon317]

Err, I meant "faster traffic to the left" in that first sentence, oops :)

Re:I hate tailgaters

[RedHat Rocky]

It would be nice if folks would override their cruise and PASS, instead of inching by the vehicle in the right lane.

And yes, I'm talking to you, Mr. "I like to Duel" Semi Driver. Nothing worse than dueling semis on the interstate.

snowplows say no

[ghostlibrary]

'round here, they can't even keep the little reflective bevels in the road. Snowplows tend to rip them up, though it takes a few snowfalls.

So expensive little sensors, they're just snowplow bait. Roads take a tremendous amount of abuse.

LIER!

[bluGill]

You lie. I drive 2-3 seconds behind the car in front of me, and cars to not constantly pull in filling the gap. One will here and there, but not constantly. In a 10 mile stretch today it amounted to 3 cars. This in stop an go traffic. That is one reason for the gap: leaving room for others, and those who did switch in front of me stayed in that lane for miles.

The gap has 3 purposes. First, safety, you can't react in under 1.5 seconds, so 2 seconds is minimun time distance. (You can fake it when closer by braking hard, but that will only work when the car in front of you isn't braking as hard) Second, politeness: let the other guy get into your lane when he wants to. Third environment, when the car ahead of your brakes, you can often just let off the gas to slow down enough. (Brakes trade speed for heat, letting off the gas does not, it would be a big difference if everyone did it.

Drive safely. Nobody else will, but you can still make a difference. You will at least get in less accidents.

Re:An idea who's time...

[zero_offset]

Chips already regulate speeds in cars now. Police Crown Victorias are almost completely stock, just without the 'Guv chip.

Not even close. Cop Crown Vics get different suspension, transmission, rear-end, wider rims and tires, different headers, a larger fan and radiator, an oversize alternator, 4-wheel disc brakes (stock has drums in back), a more powerful AC compressor, and stiffer springs and shocks. None of these items are stock, and most of them are not available as an option to the public (new from the manufacturer, anyway). If the locale can afford it, other items are available like a small screw-drive motor to crack the hood open from inside the car, a second battery, battery relocation to the trunk, and bumper upgrades. Then of course, you have all the usual cop equipment (lights, radios, cages, etc).

So, no, they don't just have an ungoverned engine.

A good friend of mine used to do final prep on cop cars at a local dealership that cranks out about 1000 cop cars per year.

Re:Following distance? We don't need no stinking f

[zero_offset]

A Taurus is pretty much bottom-of-the-line transportation short of a cheapy import like a Kia or whatever, so take that into account. It's the car you buy when (1) you don't much like or pay attention to cars, and (2) both of your jobs involve the phrases "sales associate" and "department store". Or (3) you work for Ford, and they just give you one.

Additionally, Detroit has a well-deserved reputation for having some of the worst roads in the country. This is ironic considering how important it's supposed to be to our auto industry, but there you have it.

There are definite (and sometimes extreme) regional differences in driving habits, too. For several years my work required that I do a lot of traveling, and being a car guy, I always found these differences very interesting.

In short, what you saw riding in a crappy Ford on a crappy Detroit road really doesn't give you a clear picture of what things are like across the other 160,000 miles of highway in this country...