Using Cell Phones to Track Traffic

msh210 writes "The AP has reported (with additional information from KMOX-AM) that the Missouri Dept. of Transportation will be teaming up with a private company to track in-use cell phones on Missouri highways and state roads in an effort to monitor traffic flow. Individual information will not be stored, they say -- only the aggregate will be studied, using "sophisticated" math. (See also findlaw.com's commentary on privacy concerns. "

Comments

what?

[conJunk]

is it just me, or does this sound like a complete waste of money? privacy concerns aside (i'm not convinced there are any), what will this accomplish that video cameras don't already do?

so we'll use mobile phone signals to monitor traffic? seems heaps less efficient that actually looking at real traffic volume...

Re:what?

[honeypotslash]

They must be trying to get people to stop using cell phones while driving by making them paranoid that they are being tracked.

Re:what?

[Surt]

I think you got that backward: a cell phone detector can only count cell phones. For example, a bus with 18 people using cellphones on it is not 18 cars. A video camera, on the other hand, can tell you exactly how many cars are on the road, and what types and sizes, and their speeds.

Re:what?

[mspohr]

A cell phone tracker can tell how fast traffic is moving by knowing how fast each particular phone traveled from point A to point B. You don't really need to know how many cars/busses/trucks are on the road. You only need one cell phone traveling to tell the speed of the traffic which is the important information here.

What they will find out...

[TheOtherAgentM]

is that cell phones are the cause of much traffic. People on cell phones slow down or even get into accidents.

Be careful what you assume

[LaughingCoder]

So then, a bus full of high school teenagers with cell phones will look like a major traffic jam?

Re:Ever more glad I don't have a cell phone

[marcsiry]

Lucky you! Now you can go back to the exciting days of sitting at home because you are 'expecting a call!'

You get to be one of those fortunate jobhunters who 'wait by the phone!'

For some bizarre reason, when my cellphone goes off I am somehow able to ignore it... in fact, I rarely pick up my phone for any caller unless it's someone I *really* want to speak with. No caller ID? You're welcome to leave a voicemail that I may review at some point in the future.

To me, a cellphone is an enabling technology- it enables me to make and receive phone calls at my convenience. It does not force me to take work calls after hours, nor does it force me to answer it everytime it rings in a movie theater. Those are human behaviors that I can control. I guess if you can't control your own behaviors, then getting rid of the technology that enables bad behaviors is the only answer...