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Traffic Studied Using Computer-Linked Cars
mprindle writes "Yahoo News has an AP article about a system that links individual cars to analyze traffic patterns, which allows the drivers to avoid traffic jams and accidents. This system is part of the 'smart highway' initiatives. The data from the car is sent to a central server and from that data traffic patterns in a 40 mile radius. According to the article this technology is less expensive than using poll mounted antennas or ground sensors."
If EVERYONE has a computer in their car to help them avoid traffic jams, then it would be absolutely pointless. The traffic would become more widely distributed, sure, but it'd shift away from highways that are designed to hold traffic, and into residential areas that aren't. You're going to have traffic somewhere, so whether it's on the highway or on another road is immaterial. Thus, these computers are pointless for anything more than data-gathering.
You have to remember that there is such a thing as a traffic engineer. Most potental accident locations have alternate routes pre-plotted. The detours may take you on lower capacity roads, but if you have the ability to filter over a wider area you could overcome this problem by directing people to different alternates. This could really help in some cases.
You, sir, must be quite the boring person.
Stupid Drivers
What you just described is optimal utilization of all available routes. That means no traffic jams at all, anywhere (unless there just is no more capacity anywhere at all, in which case you have gridlock).
Stopping traffic accidents in 3 easy steps:
1) Don't run red lights or stop signs.
2) Stay within +-5 miles per hour of the designated speed limit, and don't tailgate someone for going said speed limit.
3) Use your fucking turn signal when you change lanes or make turns, and don't cut people off.
There, I have solved this decades-old problem in only one minute without spending thousands of dollars on technology that asshole-drivers won't use anyway. Then again, asshole-drivers won't really listen to this advice either.
Slashdot requires you to wait longer between hitting 'reply' and submitting a comment.
"And BTW, just because I expect a story posted to be free of gross errors does not make me a 'spelling nazi'."
Poll vs. Pole is a 'gross spelling' error?
"Derp de derp."
Wow! The future's today and it's called mass transit.
The only way we will truly have safe highways will be by removing auto dependency from people's lives so that they do not need to make so many trips, thus decreasing the likelihood of an accident.
Surely the system would have to allow for variants in speed, you can exceed the limit by what, 10 miles an hour, when you pass someone? So here it would be dumb to be ticketed for an instance like that.
A system that used to be in operation here had no such variation - if you were even one mile per hour over the speed limit, you would receive a ticket. Not only that, but ticket-issuing potential skyrocketed - instead of pulling over one car and writing out the ticket, the contractor just needed to point-and-shoot. They got a cut of every ticket issued with none of the messy work of identifying who was in the vehicle, appearing in court, etc.
BUT, if you're doing 150 on the highway, do you seriously think that as long as you don't get caught by a cop, that you shouldn't face the consequence for knowingly breaking the law?
Yes.
Requiring human beings to enforce the law, rather than computers, has a nice side-effect: it adds a check to laws. It forces the police to prioritize their resources according to the whims of the general public. If people aren't as concerned about a particular law, less resources go into enforcing it, and society's collective will is better represented.
Incidentally, this is happening with the RIAA right now. Instead of needing to be caught by a law enforcement official, the RIAA merely scans open P2P nodes, automatically, and has the paperwork generated by a computer with a convenient pre-written settlement.
Do you think every one of the RIAA lawsuits in the last two years has been fair?
What public transportation are you taking that costs $15 round trip? The L and CTA are 1.75 + 30 cent transfer, and the Metra should be around $5 round trip.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I am a speeder, I am not ashamed of the fact. At the end of the day, I drive more safely and (with the exception of the speed limit) follow traffic laws more thoroughly than 95% of the other drivers in this city. In fact, I have never been in an accident, and have an almost perfect driving record (minus 1 speeding ticket). The fact of the matter is, I find it more dangerous when people go /below/ the speed limit, especially when they are being stupid and doing so in the left/passing lane. I have seen more accidents caused by tailgaters, slow drivers, people who don't know how to use their blinkers and/or change lanes, and people who are on their cell phones than I have /ever/ seen caused by speeders. I think the tradeoff here is in the mortality rate of the accidents. The faster you go, the more likely you are to die if you are in an accident, but the less likely you are to be in an eccident. It is near impossible for me to get in an accident with my driving habits, since I am normally between two 'packs' of vehicles, going faster than the first, but slow enough not to get into the second, which affords me high visibility and no other vehicles around me to cause an accident. Very safe compared to the 5 dumbasses that line up on each other's tailgates right at or right below the speed limit and then when the person in front makes a turn, they all slam on their brakes frantically trying to stop before causing a wreck.
You sir, are an asshat.