Function to stop speedsters from using accelerator 'the way to cut road deaths'

[Trump]

Originally Posted by Sydney Morning Herald

Function to stop speedsters from using accelerator 'the way to cut road deaths'

Julie Power
Published: October 3, 2016 - 7:57PM

International road safety experts are calling for all vehicles to be fitted with speed warning devices, and drivers who exceed the speed limit may find their accelerators disabled by devices that are being considered in Australia.

Driving too fast causes 1.25 million road traffic deaths a year globally, and is a major contributor to the 6.9 per cent increase in deaths on Australian roads to 1275 in the year ending August 31.

Only 48 hours into Operation Slowdown this long weekend, NSW Police said they had caught 3176 motorists speeding (not including by fixed speed cameras), 428 more than this time last year.

As a range of drivers were caught speeding dangerously, including a P-plate driver who was alleged to be driving at 141km/h in a 110km/h zone and was over the legal limit for alcohol, NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner David Driver urged motorists to slow down.

At a special event at Safety 2016, a major injury prevention conference in Finland late last month, road safety specialists from the European Transport Safety Council said speeding was the single biggest contributing factor in fatal road crashes.

The road safety experts called for all European vehicles to be fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) devices. These use speed sign recognition and satellite information to warn drivers with sounds or message if they exceed the limit.

The council launched a campaign on YouTube to build support for ISA, saying it had a huge potential to save lives.

Some devices, which have already been integrated into some new models of Ford cars, have an override function that can stop speeding drivers from using the accelerator until they return to the speed limit.

European research has found that a decrease in speed of even 1km/h could reduce road fatalities and injuries by as much as 4 per cent a year.
Oliver Carsten, Professor of Transport Safety, University of Leeds, argued that ISA was one of the most powerful technologies with the potential to improve road safety.

"There are a lot of technologies out there but, because speeding and speed choice is so crucial to risk, ISA has a bigger effect than pretty much any other system," he said.

In the YouTube video, he drives a Ford Galaxy, one of the first cars fitted with these systems. When he tries to accelerate over the speed limit in a 40km/h zone, the accelerator is disabled.

Australian road safety experts are also evaluating the effectiveness of these devices in stopping repeat offenders.

A Monash University trial of the devices on people who had been caught speeding found that motorists reduced the amount of time that they drove over the limit, but they quickly reverted to old speeding habits after the devices had been disabled.

In NSW, a trial found these speed-limiting and warning devices could save 35 lives and reduce injuries to road users by 1455 in the state per year.
To introduce drivers to these sorts of devices, which are already used by the trucking industry, Transport for NSW developed Speed Adviser, a free app that uses NSW open source information to remind drivers of the speed limit.

It has also made NSW data publicly available to encourage other developers to use the information.

Research had shown that these intelligent speeding assistants had a definite benefit, said Bernard Carlon, the executive director of the NSW Centre for Road Safety.

Often people did not realise they were speeding, he said.
Drivers may talk about their "unconscious speeding" or say "I didn't even realise I was speeding", he said.


Like 140,000 others who have downloaded the app, Mr Carlon uses the app, and finds it useful.

"There does tend to be a theory that people in vehicles are like being in a cocoon, and separated from the rest of the world and not necessarily focused on the driving task," he said.

He could envisage this sort of device being used in a similar way to alcohol interlocks as a way of stopping recidivist speeders from repeating the same offence. And he was continuously reviewing the potential of these apps to reduce road trauma.


A Finnish study of fatal accidents in urban areas found nearly 30 per cent of pedestrians were killed in a 31 to 40km/h zone, and 40 per cent in a 41 to 50km/h zone, compared with 12 per cent in a 51 to 60km/h zone.

David Ward, the secretary general of the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) said ISA was now included in vehicle safety ratings by the European New Car Assessment Programme.

"This reflects growing confidence that they can positively contribute to reducing road crash fatalities and serious injuries," he said.

London's buses will soon be fitted with these devices after a trial found an 18 per cent reduction in deaths where a vehicle was fitted with an advisory system, and a 37 per cent reduction in deaths where intervening systems, which cannot be turned off, disabled the accelerator after drivers had been warned that they were driving too fast.

However, some critics fear these apps are like Big Brother monitoring one's driving. Others worry they don't take into account driver behaviour.

Professor Ann Williamson, the director of the Transport and Road Safety Research at the University of NSW, warned that these devices - like most things - contained good and bad elements.

There was a risk that they could make drivers relax and rely too much on the device's warnings. And they make some situations worse.

"If you have an ISA system that's [sounding a] warning and I am trying to overtake, the constant dinging may be driving me crazy so, if I am overtaking and my heart rate is already up, that's not an advantage to the driver," she said.
Julie Power attended Safety 2016 with support from the ICFJ-WHO Safety 2016 Reporting Fellowship Program and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

http://www.smh.com.au/action/printArticle?id=1014102753

Are these people serious? It's too early for April Fools Day.

[Jack91]

Someone needs to start a riot.

[commodorenutt]

Country road, pull out to overtake a b-double, accelerate, hit LIMITER....... Oh crap, we're screwed......

OK idea in really dense city areas (which seems to be the focus of the article) but simply not a good idea once you're out of the heavily populated regions. It really should only be looked at as a way for someone with no points to maintain a licence for work purposes or the like - similar to how an alcohol interlock works.

If you can't be responsible for your own driving, then you either shouldn't be driving, or you can succumb to this nanny-state rubbish.


You don't always have the option to brake to avoid an accident. I can count on more than 1 hand the times I've accelerated (over the limit - as I'd already be travelling at the limit) to avoid a hazard - be it a roo coming from the side, or a clown who pulls out from a side street, when you're 25m off him - leaving you with 2 options - hit him on the RH rear 1/4 on an angle, or take evasive action down the left (or right) and get back into the lane before the parked car (or oncoming traffic).

[Bluehoon]

Time to ditch fuel injection and all the computer controlled rubbish.

Carby here we come!!!

[M&Ms]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

Driving too fast causes 1.25 million road traffic deaths a year globally, and is a major contributor to the 6.9 per cent increase in deaths on Australian roads to 1275 in the year ending August 31.

I reckon it's the additional speed cameras our hopeless government has put up that have caused the increase in deaths. Don't for one second think that Baird and co. don't want you to speed!

[olfella]

I would not have a problem with a GPS device alerting the driver that they are over the limit for that particular zone. In fact it could be a good thing.
But like Commodoernut, when I overtake, the less amount of time I spend on the other side of the road the better. So it gets a bootfull. To say I should not do this and should stay behind someone who does below the limit then speeds up at overtaking lanes creates a dangerous situation in my mind. I much rather chose to leave them behind me. And if I get caught then I cop it sweet and pay the fine.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by olfella

I much rather chose to leave them behind me.

Same. Crash risk of single vehicles is lower than in groups of vehicles. Clearer vision, more time and space to respond to obstacles, fewer variables you cant control.

If the police choose not to give any focus to slow drivers that impede smooth traffic flow, then they should be prepared for us to overtake them.

[marty351]

What prize can we offer to the first person that figures out how to disable this system?

[FPV+fteT3]

To put the number of deaths into context measured against per 100,000 head of population deaths in motor cars has never been lower. Thats the beauty of statistics you can choose to use those that suit your purpose. In the interest of sharing an alternate view we are dieing at the lowest rate ever from car accidents, why do you think the current adds to brainwash us is that one where the bloke says 70 deaths would be a good number to die on the roads this year then they march out his family and he says none that would be good. Its just an excuse to have more draconian measures and revenue raising.

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by marty351

What prize can we offer to the first person that figures out how to disable this system?

A pack of smokes. It will pay for half a tank of fuel.

[EDManual]

I like this quote:

"A Finnish study of fatal accidents in urban areas found nearly 30 per cent of pedestrians were killed in a 31 to 40km/h zone, and 40 per cent in a 41 to 50km/h zone, compared with 12 per cent in a 51 to 60km/h zone."

Obviously the faster you go the safer it is for pedestrians is it not!!
Makes sense too, as surely the pedestrians are less likely to step out onto a faster roadway! How many people would step onto a road with cars travelling at 100? Not many!
Stupid rules make pedestrians feel like they can step in front of cars! When I was a little kid, roads were a place not to mess with AT ALL! Now.... well you have the right to step wherever you like in the city apparently.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by EDManual

I like this quote:

"A Finnish study of fatal accidents in urban areas found nearly 30 per cent of pedestrians were killed in a 31 to 40km/h zone, and 40 per cent in a 41 to 50km/h zone, compared with 12 per cent in a 51 to 60km/h zone."

Obviously the faster you go the safer it is for pedestrians is it not!!
Makes sense too, as surely the pedestrians are less likely to step out onto a faster roadway! How many people would step onto a road with cars travelling at 100? Not many!
Stupid rules make pedestrians feel like they can step in front of cars! When I was a little kid, roads were a place not to mess with AT ALL! Now.... well you have the right to step wherever you like in the city apparently.

That quote is stupid, making it sound like the speed limit is the only factor in whether a pedestrian dies.
The lower speed limits are set where there are more PEDESTRIANS!
Just think, more pedestrians hit and killed where there are a greater volume of pedestrians, never!

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by marty351

What prize can we offer to the first person that figures out how to disable this system?

Change the speed limit signs. Always wondered what would happen if someone happened to swap speed limit signs. Legally the police would then be obliged to enforce the newly displayed limit ?

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Country road, pull out to overtake a b-double, accelerate, hit LIMITER....... Oh crap, we're screwed......

Trucks have speed limiters & do ok, this just means other motorists will be on equal footing & stop the **** heads who continually speed all the time & flout the road laws, technology will eventually rule your lives.......

[GTMOND]

NSW police said 3176 people were caught speeding. I would like to see the stats on how many were just over the speed limit.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Country road, pull out to overtake a b-double, accelerate, hit LIMITER....... Oh crap, we're screwed......

Welcome to the world of Truck Drivers

[b0son]

Originally Posted by EDManual

I like this quote:

"A Finnish study of fatal accidents in urban areas found nearly 30 per cent of pedestrians were killed in a 31 to 40km/h zone, and 40 per cent in a 41 to 50km/h zone, compared with 12 per cent in a 51 to 60km/h zone."

Not surprising. Slow the cars down, and you invite pedestrians to take more stupid risks.

Dont beleive me? Observe the idiot mums at school dropoff/pickup since we had 40 zones. The stupid risks they take to save a minute beggars belief.

[asagaai]

Great Idea-but I would like to see it rolled out only as an App for federal Politicians- Function to stop Over spending Politicians from using our tax money for Personal/Wasteful Jaunts

A nice app linked to their office/credit card accounts to stop Fed Politicians spending OUR money on helicopter rides, family airfares overseas, trips overseas under the guise of research for one of their committee positions- yea right.

They forget that they are using OUR money which they have access to on a trust basis, would like to see an AP to brake/block their attempts at misuse of OUR money.

[wodahs]

Interesting wonder what happens when they change a zones speed as with a section over here on a 110 zone that was re sign posted to 80 for bout 400 mtrs a few years back whist they got round to fixing it now its fixed and back to 110 but satellite s still say 80 in that area for gps and our work trucks were being flaged by head office for speeding in that area at 100

[HEMI POWER]

Another revenue raising scheme bring it on we might aswell bend over from now

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[olfella]

Originally Posted by trublu

Trucks have speed limiters & do ok, this just means other motorists will be on equal footing & stop the **** heads who continually speed all the time & flout the road laws, technology will eventually rule your lives.......

We can still speed through towns. And what do you propose if I go to NT where they have an open limit?

[olfella]

Originally Posted by GTMOND

NSW police said 3176 people were caught speeding. I would like to see the stats on how many were just over the speed limit.

What about those under the limit that those speeding were over taking? Usually on a clear road (except for the flash for cash)

[blackf6]

Block of wood under the pedal works too.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by M&Ms

I reckon it's the additional speed cameras our hopeless government has put up that have caused the increase in deaths. Don't for one second think that Baird and co. don't want you to speed!

They can't afford for people not to speed, Duncan Gay admitted as much in the early days of the ofarrell gvt when they were talking about removing fixed speed cameras

[joolz]

I'm sure the speed limiters will allow you speed just enough to keep the revenue train coming in....

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by FPV+fteT3

To put the number of deaths into context measured against per 100,000 head of population deaths in motor cars has never been lower.

to further put it into context more than 50000 people died from heart disease in Australia in 2013. more than 40000 people died of cancer, 12000 people died from respiratory illness. More people committed suicide than dies on the roads

[cro142]

Originally Posted by simon varley

to further put it into context more than 50000 people died from heart disease in Australia in 2013. more than 40000 people died of cancer, 12000 people died from respiratory illness. More people committed suicide than dies on the roads

Geez, don't tell the Govt that, or there will soon be big fines for being diagnosed with heart disease. Just see your doctor and a $1000 fine arrives in the mail.

The possibilities are endless!! Ha Ha.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by olfella

We can still speed through towns. And what do you propose if I go to NT where they have an open limit?

Well if read loud_Noises original post it caters for legitimate speeds.

[M&Ms]

Originally Posted by FPV+fteT3

To put the number of deaths into context measured against per 100,000 head of population deaths in motor cars has never been lower. Thats the beauty of statistics you can choose to use those that suit your purpose. In the interest of sharing an alternate view we are dieing at the lowest rate ever from car accidents, why do you think the current adds to brainwash us is that one where the bloke says 70 deaths would be a good number to die on the roads this year then they march out his family and he says none that would be good. Its just an excuse to have more draconian measures and revenue raising.

image

And let's not forget all the vehicle safety advancements from the 70's to today which have ultimately led the way in fatality reduction: Collapsing steering columns, multi-stage airbags, side and head/throax airbags, ABS, stability control, radial tyres, crumple zones, high strength steels, improved headlights and fields of view, etc, etc. Yet the gov't wants to take credit everytime there's a drop in fatalities and give that credit to their cash-cameras. Just like that hopeless ad on TV, which talks about the 'Speed Camera that saved their life.'

Yet, at the end of the day, who is there to listen to us people of reason??????

[noflac52]

Ok so it saves the 1.25 million people a year that would otherwise have died. In twenty years time more people will die of starvation because the 1.25 million a year will still be around to breed and over population of the globe will be a massive problem when you add that to the number of people already breeding throughout the world.

Seriously though how many of those road deaths are actually caused by speeding. It's an attention grabbing number but that is all it is.