Tracking Your Cell Phone for Traffic Reports

BostonBTS writes "IntelliOne Technologies has just launched a real-world test of Need4Speed, a real-time traffic-monitoring system that tracks drivers' cell phones. From their website: 'Unlike any other solution available today, the IntelliOne Roadway Speed Measurement System produces live roadway speeds for all highways and surface streets where mobile phone coverage exists, accurate to within three miles per hour.' Of course, any compulsory phone-tracking system raises privacy concerns. According to an article on LiveScience, 'the personal identification data of users will be stripped from cell phone signals before they are processed by IntelliOne's software.' The cell phone companies have this data, but IntelliOne says they won't be keeping their copy."

Comments

Of course!

[dotslashdot]

And of course, AOL won't be releasing your search terms, the NSA won't be listening to your phone conversations or tracking your surfing habits, private companies won't be stockpiling huge warehouses of data to give to the government and you can trust a president who choked and fell while eating a pretzel to check and balance himself.

Tracking Your Cell Phone for Traffic Reports

[Gendo420]

they say they won't keep it, but come on, they will still have all the numbers cataloged somewhere.

Re:Tracking Your Cell Phone for Traffic Reports

[Travoltus]

Yes, they'll keep it on file in the name of:
1) the war on terror
2) tracking deadbeat dads
3) think of the childr-er, the insurance companies!

Re:Oh yeah, like it's going to be anonymous

[trolleymusic]

Or the police send you an SMS speeding ticket!

This shouldn't work on single occupant vehicles

[pjwhite]

This shouldn't work on single occupant vehicles, since drivers should have their phones turned off at all times on the road for safety.

But I'm sure it will work anyway because enough drivers will ignore safety concerns and leave their phones turned on to allow good coverage.

Re:This shouldn't work on single occupant vehicles

[pjwhite]

Having the phone turned on means that it is likely to ring, distracting the driver.
Then, answering the phone involves fumbling for it, looking at the caller ID, finding the right button to press in order to answer it, etc. Talking on the phone while driving has been discussed at length in other forums and I won't go into it here, but let's just say that I (and many others) agree that it's a Bad Idea.

What "rest"?

[Poromenos1]

The rest of the cars? Here in Greece, at least, everyone has at least one cellphone. I literally do not know anyone over 15 years old that doesn't have a cellphone. Except grandpa.

Re:This is not GPS

[StikyPad]

The other huge boon to this is for the state. Imagine if you could see traffic trends by the minute covering trends over months. You could quickly identify dangerous traffic areas, distractions, traffic quirks, and all sorts of oddities that could be engineered around to reduce injuries, fatalities, and expenses.

Well that's the best case, but I'd find it much more likely that the state would look for stretches of road where the average speed exceeds the speed limit, aka "areas of potential revenue and quota filling."

Re:Oh yeah, like it's going to be anonymous

[StikyPad]

If you can afford a car that does 185, a speeding ticket probably isn't something you're particularly worried about.

Re:Oh yeah, like it's going to be anonymous

[WilliamSChips]

That works right now, but eventually this shit will be built into the car. Pull it out and the car won't start. Use a car that doesn't work like that and get a fine. Oh, and don't forget the forced obsolescence.