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IBM to Help UAE Track Drivers on the Road
Mr.Bananas writes "InformationWeek reports that IBM has announced a deal with United Arab Emirates in which it would provide speed tracking devices that will automatically warn violators of traffic laws: "The telematics device will use multiple microprocessors based on IBM's Power Architecture, and will have the capability to monitor the speed of the vehicle and send out a warning if the car surpasses the posted speed limit." GeekCoffee goes on to report that tickets will be issued automatically to violators who ignore the warnings: "If the voice warning is ignored, the system would use a GSM/GPRS link to beam the car's speed, identity and location to the police so that a ticket could be issued.""
That's pretty awesome for a place where traffic law informcent in itself is pretty weak and the drivers are pretty insane. But really, how is one to guarentee these devices stay in the cars?
:) There's two sides, naturally.
I for one would pull it off my car and throw it somewhere.
But hey, some may like it and some may see it as a violation of their "freedom to drive like an idiot"
It's just Crap.
Would this system also be implemented in public vehicles, such as the police themselves?
Shouldn't the cops get a ticket as well, if they are not "chasing the bad guy", say trying to get to the local krispy kreme before it closes?
I just can't wait for the day when all cars will be computerized and manual driving of any kind will be illegal. Then while I'm kicking back in my car drinking a coffee and listening to music while reading a book, I can think about all those enraged college students and idiot boomers fuming over the fact that they no longer get to endanger everyone else with their complete and total lack of skill...and smile.
Hey, it's no different than legislating moronic things like seatbelt and helmet laws. If you think you have a moral imperative to act as my daddy, then I'll assume your position and bring it to its logical conclusion. And laugh at you every time you bitch about the 'good ol' days', when every stupid shit who insisted that *they* were great drivers put everyone else on the road at risk every time they got behind the wheel.
Until that beautiful day, I'll back any bill that makes it a shooting offense for people to use their cell phones while driving. I swear to christ, those morons are as bad as any drunk....
Max
My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
Bwahaha! Yeah, it's the people who drive safely and according to the official regulations who are dangerous -- not us speed freaks who break the rules and make new ones for themselves simply because we're so goddamned good drivers. Nice rationalization.
You wouldn't have any problem with the people doing 50 if you were doing 50 as well. "The other people are driving 70 mph too" is a pathetic excuse a kid might come up with. Besides, most people seriously overestimate their driving abilities.
The owls are not what they seem
Actually, they can be. Cincinnati is getting ready to institute speeding cameras, and the expected revenue is $12 million per year. Some members of the city council are looking at this specifically as a revenue source to help balance the city budget.