One Step Closer to Black Boxes
ABD critical of Govt's plans for monitoring cars
The DfT announced yesterday that they are considering fitting black boxes in cars to determine the causes of accidents. They are also investigating ways to use these devices to externally control vehicle speeds by physically preventing them breaking speed limits or automatically issuing tickets if they do so.
"This announcement continues their flawed and dangerous "one-size-fits-all" approach to road safety," said the ABD's road safety spokesman Mark McArthur-Christie. "The DfT talk about using black boxes to investigate the causes of accidents, but seem to have decided in advance that crashes can be cured by simply sticking to the speed limit. We are very concerned that the "accident investigation" angle could be a ruse to bring in automated speed controls."
According to the ABD, existing police data shows that 95% of accidents are unrelated to breaking speed limits, and that the remaining 5% involve extreme behaviour (drunk, drugged or unqualified drivers way in excess of the speed limit) and other vital factors.
"The facts don't support mass, automated enforcement of inappropriate speed limits," continued McArthur-Christie, "But the Government had committed itself to this strategy based on false premises and is ignoring the truth about road safety. External speed control doesn't prevent poor lane discipline, poor observation, driving too close, inattention, tiredness, reckless, poorly judged manoeuvres or excess speed for the conditions. These are the real killers, and the more the Government try to turn us into remote controlled passengers and try to drive our cars for us, the less concentration we will apply to the task of driving and the less opportunity we will have to develop vital safe driving skills."
"A safe driver is one who can use his own judgement to determine what is a safe speed for the conditions," concludes Senior IAM observer and RoSPA-qualified driver and motorcyclist McArthur-Christie. "Government policy is doing nothing but undermine that in any number of ways. We cannot believe they will be foolish and cowardly enough to repeat the same mistakes with black boxes that they have with current camera technology."
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I for one will refuse to have this device installed on any of my cars and will destroy the device in any new car i purchase.
What would be good is an automatic driver that can be selected and would drive me home when i am tired or drunk. Keeping to speed limits and maintaing correct distanct/lane's. I could also then watch telly/PSP or surf the web. Hence actually making a difference to the quality of life and improving safty.
Another stick rather than a carrot approach, AGAIN. There just addicted the money they can make. It was a given that the will have a ticket issuing machine in every car. If they could!
Also about trying to control lives.
Black box - what ist it recording exactly? Speed und perhaps engine revs - and maybe we have immediate warning on dash if bulb goes - und would it also record tyre pressure und tread?
There ist the eye monitor gizmo - still in development - but that monitor eye movement clue to to drunken/drugged/tired state und believe States have some alcohol lock gadget - only it require constant breath take every few mile or 
engine cut out. Have heard it has caused accidents and some deaths from US paper (Chicago). So not a resounding success.... Also - ist the box recording conversations? Videoing the drive? Ist intruding on the privacy.
Only a foolish government would try this on... think people would revolt over this. Also - people will think the magic box will save them - like the misconception over Cruise Control - from earlier thread whereby people (Blegians
) appeared to think the system automatically slowed them down for hazard ahead Ist
to intrusive gimmicks und 
to proper spend of money - like better engineered roads, better safety adverts - which promote good practice - und training drivers properly in first place - folliwing COAST - and motorway/fast road to be included on L/test und encouragement to constantly update and evaluate skills... Ach - forget - that cost und not make money!
Furthermore, "they" (the PTB, not the camera operator simpletons) know very well that hardly any accidents are caused by "speeding", so it follows such devices would reveal the speed tax scam to the great unwashed. And we can see how desperately they're trying to stop that from happening.
SM
That said, I am getting a little tired of only ever hearing spin and propaganda from the pro-driving lobby. We need to have credibility and show objectivity to be taken seriously, and mis-representation of statistics and dogmatic statements don't promote such an image.
Whilst speed may not be the cause of most accidents, it is undeniably the prime factor in severity. A head on collision whilst passing someone as 30 will write off the car, but you'll get away with cuts and bruises, do the same at 60 and you're finished. Likewise, speed may not be a factor in 95% of police recorded accidents, but that's because the police record all incidents on the road, including shunts in queuing traffic at 5mph, learners kangarooing it into parked cars whilst parallel parking etc. Coming up with a meaningless and mis-quoted statistic, then going off on a rant about it doesn't achieve anything.
The government aren't listening or simply don't understand. To think they're in power.
Ted said:If not quoted out of context: this is conclusive proof that the government has no idea what actually causes crashes, yet they feel justified to claim that speed cameras are the answer, but we know better!
The DfT announced yesterday that they are considering fitting black boxes in cars to determine the causes of accidents.
Be on your guard: a system like this goes hand-in-hand with national congestion charging.
However, a black box system is what we're crying out for. If a black box had been fitted to my car then the police might have caught and prosecuted the uninsured driver that drove into me a year ago...
It’s just becomes easier to monitor the population and bend everyone to their will, politically, economically, and socially. Motoring is very important to us, but to our leaders, it’s just one part of a much bigger picture.
I don’t see it as merely a war on the motorist, but as an ongoing assault on personal freedom.
It's an elaborate scenario, yes, but I've seen it happen quite often before , (mainly by hoons, and always minus the crash) and the drivers have only been able to get themselves out of a fix through prodigious use of the right foot. Black boxers to control driving? What a stupid idea.
Here's another corker. Steve Bracks, Victorian Premier, wanted to limit cars speedo indications to no more than 130kmp/h.
God, by the time I'll be able to afford anything decent to drive, private transport will probably be illegal.
Focussing on speed achieves nothing (apart from stacks of cash and putting drivers off the road)
SM
...oh, no commercial interest so no money in it!
Now that our government (doesnt matter what colour their flags are!) are seeing the cash cow that is the motorist, anything and everything is being introduced to bolster the coffers of the exchequer.
Does anyone really know how much the motorist (which can be 3 or 4 people in a grown up family) gives to the government driving just the average mileage per year.
The manufacturers IMO will only include such a gizmo if it became law, but with health and safety law being abused and not taking into account a common sense approach and the UK fast becoming 'USA The Second' for litigation on almost everything, who knows what we have in store for the future.
I will enjoy my 15yr old M3 whilst I can before that too will be deemed too old for the roads
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