Posted on 03/24/2015 12:52:24 PM PDT by C19fan
Much as we'd like to emulate our NASCAR heroes, breaking the speed limit often comes at a price. Ford is hoping to prevent accidents and speeding tickets by introducing cars that can see what the speed limit is and preventing heavy-footed motorists from driving any faster. Ford's Intelligent Speed Limiter tech will first appear on the new Ford S-Max that's launching in Europe that could just change the way that we drive.
(Excerpt) Read more at engadget.com ...
They’re talking about for use in Europe. Ford already employs several technologies in Europe that it won’t introduce stateside for fear of litigation.
Google “Ford City Stop”. Ford has software that will allow adaptive cruise control to come to a complete stop in traffic and resume cruise speed without driver input. Not available in the USA.
I’ll believe it when I see it. Nobody wants speed limit control here. The drivers don’t. Law enforcement doesn’t. Insurance companies won’t, either (I can show you a NTHSA study that driving 15 mph slower than prevailing traffic causes a six fold increase in likihood to cause an accident).
I’m not worried. Yet.
“how special, what about the times you have to tromp on the gas to get out of a bad situation? “
If people would read the article before posting, this thread would have only half the comments ...
“But hey, per the article you can take an extra step to turn this feature off. Of course, when you have less than a second to react in a stressful situation, that’s no worry. /SARC”
But hey, per the article you just need to hit the accelerator to accelerate ...
Insanity.
We drive through the Chicago area multiple times a year, in a couple of different directions, and if you want to go with the traffic flow on many of the highways, you MUST speed, because it is just about always 10-20 mph over the limit, barring an accident or something.
We went through Chicago once last summer after we’d had a flat about fifty miles out, so we were driving on one of those little donut spares. Hubby didn’t want to go over 55, which he didn’t figure would be a big deal, because that was the limit much of our route through the metro area. But even if the far right lane (I usually hang out in the far left lane and hubby in the middle), going 55 was pretty unnerving; people blasting by you on the left at probably 20 mph faster, and even people ducking to the right for an exit going much faster than the limit.
Plus the far right lane regularly disappears on you, and merging left can be a serious challenge at the speed limit.
Ford Active City Stop:
http://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/euro-ncap-advanced-rewards/2011-ford-active-city-stop/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2ljcDe6n-io
Wirecutters and tape are best used to address this problem.
Bingo. If Ford is so stupid as to actually implement this, they will be sued into bankrupcy the first time their speed limiter causes an accident.
READ the article? Are you mad? I'm an American Male, That's like insisting that I read instructions before assembling or installing something! It just can't be done, it's genetically impossible.
That “one step” is flooring the gas pedal.
Europe (where this is being implemented) has much more rational product liability laws than the US.
We're in Kansas.
Assault Automobiles should be maxed at two gallon gas tanks. Nobody needs more than two gallons of killer gasoline...(/s)
You don’t have to worry though, the article said Ford is doing it in Europe.
Sleep well tonight.
Europe has less than reliable courts (bribes, favoritism, etc).
(see also their national health doctors have to take bribes/gratuity envelopes)
I have slowly accelerated out of a potential wreck (semi lost a retread about 100 yards in front of me). Rapid acceleration was not an option due to heavy traffic.
This tech WILL get people killed if deployed.
All I know is when I was working (at an automotive supplier that sold a lot of stuff both in NA and Europe) the legal problems/costs in Europe were probably 5% of the ones in NA.
Same on the 75, DNT, and Sam Rayburn aka 121 in Dallas...
Unless you live in New York. Then you can have a ten gallon tank, but can only fill it with two gallons.
So when I’m paged to the hospital in the middle of the night, I can’t hurry to take care of someone’s baby?
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