Posted on 03/25/2015 9:42:17 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Ford says it has the answer for speed demons who can't keep their gas pedals off the metal: A car that reads speed limit signs and automatically slows down.
Ford says that the newest edition of its S-Max car has "a new technology that scans traffic signs and adjusts the throttle to help drivers stay within legal speed limits and avoid fines."
The new system, called the intelligent speed limiter, was unveiled by Ford of Europe in Germany on Tuesday. But Ford's European division said the technology will be available worldwide.
The S-Max can read signs with its traffic sign recognition system and adjusts for speed accordingly. And it doesn't need to pull down the brake to slow down the car.
"The system does not apply the brakes but smoothly controls engine torque by electronically adjusting the amount of fuel delivered," the company said in a press release.
But the fun isn't completely over for speedsters.
"Drivers can temporarily override the system by pressing firmly on the accelerator," said Ford.
The technology seems to be a step in the direction of the driverless car, also known as an autonomous car. While these cars have yet to hit the market, Audi unveiled one last year that reached 140 miles per hour with no driver at the wheel.
Google and Nokia have also been experimenting with driverless cars. Google's electric-powered LUTZ Pathfinder started rolling through London last month at a not-so-brisk 12 miles per hour, and the company plans to expand tests later this week.
Auto parts company Delphi has a driverless car, an Audi SQ5, that is currently driving cross-country. The car, which has several passengers, started on Sunday.
And what happens WHEN, not IF, the data is wrong for any particular road?
Small town Speed Traps are deeply saddened...................
It reads road signs, not maps.
Honest, officer, my car mistook the I-110 sign for a speed limit!................
“Ford says that the newest edition of its S-Max car has “a new technology that scans traffic signs and adjusts the throttle”
The fun begins when some vandal changes the signs to read 100 mph.
Wait until they try this system on the Mustang GT.Sales go to zero.
Don’t like the idea. I don’t need to be driving an airbus.
And I called Ford to let them know I didn’t like the idea and I won’t be buying a car with this in it.
This is a scary trend. I like me some moderate speeding. I’ve noticed something though. How many times have you passed someone going slow on the highway, then they pull up next to you on the off ramp?
LOL!
I see a lot of passing in its future...and a lot of accidents.
How does it know the speed limit? I have a GPS that shows what it ‘thinks’ are the speed limits but it’s routinely off from the actual posted limits.
So much for passing in traffic, or keeping up with folks driving older cars during rush hour (being 15 mph slower than everyone else on the freeway is plenty dangerous)
I can see some jokesters going around putting up fake speed limit signs.................
I can see the attorney’s circling this car, jaws slack and salivating.
” You Honor I was being chased by a group of Amish yutes and I couldn’t get away because I was in a school zone and these yutes could run faster than I could drive my brand new spankin Ford.”
That’s gonna get people killed around Atlanta, where the posted speed limit may be 55 or 65 but flow of traffic is 80+.
People are driving VERY aggressively these days, and they're usually on various electronic devices while they're driving, also.
Speed differential is what causes a lot of accidents.
If you read the article, you learn that it reads road signs.
...or dealing with an emergency. The baby WILL be born in that car.
This is Ford.
But the Govt. would like Someone, Sometime, Somewhere to automatically obey the laws.
Note however, that we can’t. There are too many laws, and they contradict themselves. So any ‘automatic’ law following will result in a tailspin and crash, like a dog chasing its tail.
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