"If motorcyclists want people to spot them, here’s an idea. Buy a car"

[PrincessA]

Who does this dork think he is???

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/dri...cle6028723.ece

[kramer]

He's Jeremy Clarkson.

Who are you??

[DucDic]

sarcasm...as for the police being able to plug in their computer to see how fast you were going...well...that's a new one...

[FiReSTaRT]

I already posted what I thought of his comment (and some other comments) on the site.

[FiReSTaRT]

In the U.S. they are trying to pass a toll system where they lowjack your car and bill you by the mile. I wonder how long it would take for it to be used by the law enforcement community

[CruisnGrrl]

In the U.S. they are trying to pass a toll system where they lowjack your car and bill you by the mile. I wonder how long it would take for it to be used by the law enforcement community

Kind of like the transponders used for the 407?

[FiReSTaRT]

No.. I'm not 100% sure about the technology, whether it's a GPS logger where they just dump your data periodically or if it's a GPS receiver that also transmits signal to their network as long as you're within the state (one of those two for sure). So the government would have access about EVERY place where your car ever went!

[KawiZuki]

Insurance companies are also testing that idea.
They will give you reduced rates if you stay within the speed limit but if you go over it the logging service does NOT report it against you.

It does not seem to make complete sense to me.

On another note, can the Police request Onstar information to prove your speed in court? Can the Insurance companies do the same to adjust your rates?

[Pocket Sprocket]

I think she meant as if the 407 could see when you get on and off highway and check for speeding...

[Slick Rix]

First... whoever wrote that is a dick...

second... i think she was referring to the 407 as in billing by the mileage... not the technology

[FiReSTaRT]

Yes, that would be the same kinda system. Every mile you put on while you're in your home state gets billed. Based on the overview of the technology, that wouldn't distinguish b/w public roads, private roads or offroad use for that matter but that's only a minor beef considering the fact that they're thinking of billing people for using the roads built by their tax money (minor beef #2) and following every driver's every move (1984 anyone?).

[suprPHREAK]

On another note, can the Police request Onstar information to prove your speed in court? Can the Insurance companies do the same to adjust your rates?

No. OnStar makes no claim to be able to track your speed, or to be accurate at all. Plus, I'm sure this would violate a whole bunch of privacy laws.

The police can, in the event of an accident, pull your vehicle's ECU which often records a few seconds (up to minutes, depending on model) of data, including VSS data, which is admissible in court as evidence.

[DucDic]

Insurance companies are also testing that idea.
They will give you reduced rates if you stay within the speed limit but if you go over it the logging service does NOT report it against you.

It does not seem to make complete sense to me.

On another note, can the Police request Onstar information to prove your speed in court? Can the Insurance companies do the same to adjust your rates?

yup, that's what i got, autograph insurance, you plug the little device in your car and you can receive anywhere from 10 to 25% off your insurance...you just pull the device and plug it into you computer and submit the data online...measures for going over 120km/h, hard braking or accelerating, and distance travelled...i do too much distance, so i get the 10% only...but it's neat...they are testing a GPS based model now that supports two way transmission...i ain't a big fan of that one at all, and i'm sure they will figure out a way to muscle that in to vehicles down the road...

[zooropa_chris]

Scary part is that they know where you are, when you're there, how long you stayed, and can track your every move. Imagine getting busted with a bag of pot because they know you stopped at your dealer's place for 20 minutes. lol

On a positive note, real crime like kidnappings could have some happy endings to them. Speeding is only the tip of the iceberg with that sinario.

[FiReSTaRT]

Or it can be used by the government to track dissidents and politically unsuitable people. Thank you very much, but I prefer solid investigative policing and my privacy.

[Yorkee]

on the counter part, Can I will implement a device that replace/override the car speed / GPS record, and sell it on evilbay?

So whenever the cop pull you over / insurance plug-in or whoever trying to get your speed record, they will get a reading of legal speed.

I am dreaming

[mat2312]

I can't believe we're even talking about this....


Is anyone else as worried about where we as a society is heading? Orwell anyone?

[Jayv]

I guess most of you have never seen/heard Jeremy Clarkson on TV before, you can say he has a very dry sense of humour.