Posted on 03/25/2015 1:48:19 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Ford is to sell a car that can read road signs and adjust its speed accordingly to ensure the vehicle is not driving too fast.
The speed-limiting tech can be activated via the steering wheel and briefly overridden by pressing firmly on the accelerator.
The car company suggests the facility will help drivers avoid fines and could reduce the number of accidents.
However, one expert said the innovation might only serve as a "stopgap".
"There's a plan for speed restrictions to be beamed to your car's computer systems and controlled from there, rather than requiring street sign visual recognition systems," said Paul Newton, an automotive industry analyst at the IHS consultancy.
"This would be part an extension of the networks that will connect vehicles, allowing cars to warn those behind them if they are slowing down, which is all part of a move toward autonomous vehicles that drive themselves." The new vehicles will alert the driver to detected road signs via a read-out in the centre of the car's speedometer
Such a system, however, is some way off.
Ford's technology will become available to the public this August, when it launches the second generation of its S-Max cars in Europe.
A spokesman for the US car company told the BBC the facility would probably be extended to other models around the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Speeding thru Uhhh .. moseying thru your neighborhood real soon.
I have been thinking about getting a truck which is old. No GPS, none of this crap. Just a truck with an engine and easy to work on.
Can I set it to the speed limit + 9?
I hear the highway patrol say “9 your fine, 10 you’re mine”
That may be true....my last ticket was 66 in a 55 - meanwhile, I steamed past a number of Virginia troopers (NC to DC) doing 77-78 in a 70 - no problem.
In town, however, I don’t think you get +9 - say, in a 35 mph zone.
Piece of gorilla tape could fix that camera right up.
10% of the posted limit seems to be the rule.
If you want to go slow just buy some faggy car like a Prius or Honda CR_V (crap vehicle). They must have speed limiters in them already because every d*mned one I get stuck behind is doing 10 below the speed limit. A**Holes!
Drive 65Mph (the speed limit) on most of the freeways in SOCAL and you’ll get run over. Virtually no one goes under 70-75.
The prob is parts are scarce for old vehicles.
However, I still think it’s a good idea. Perhaps in your neck of the woods they will not be. I’d rather be wrong in this case.
The other side of that... what's to stop someone from 'pirating' the signal, and causing random cars to slow down or even stop? I would be really surprised if the security on this stuff was anything more than laughably trivial.
I just picked one up recently. No power-assist anything, 4 speed manual, 283 V8 with a 4 barrel carburetor, not to mention the EMP-resistant points 'n condenser ignition system. It needs a bit of work, but when it's running, it will be nice to have.
I’m glad to see Ford working on this technology. However, if everybody is speeding then overriding this speed limit technology in order to keep up with traffic can arguably be as distractive as using a smart phone while driving imo.
I can hardly wait to hear the wailing when this becomes a colossal failure.
Piece of gorilla tape could fix that camera right up.
Hell yeah.
Really? I have catalogs that are chock-full of everything I need for a 45 year old truck. You can almost build one from scratch with aftermarket parts.
Sounds like it would be perfect for a Prius parked in the fast lane.
Maybe a 3:00 AM.
I lived in L.A. for forty years, the freeway is rarely over 50
In my neck of the woods half the people have old trucks LOL. Plenty of good ole boys around here.
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