The EU is moving forward with legislation to require ISA, Intelligent Speed Assistance, in all new cars starting in 2022. This system will use GPS, map databases, and speed limit reading cameras to limit speed. Speed limiting will be accomplished by limiting engine power. Drivers can temporarily override the system by pressing down hard on the accelerator. It seems that, at least to start, the system will have an off button. Other requirements of the legislation include a system to monitor the driver for drowsiness, and inattention, as well as standard hookups for in car breathalysers. It seems the driver monitoring systems may include in car cameras pointed at the driver.
Sources:
thisismoney.co.uk
fortune.com
euractiv.com
theengineer.co.uk
gizmodo.com
Previously on Soylent: Volvo: In-Car Cameras Will Monitor Drivers and Take Action to Prevent Distracted or Impaired Driving
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Codesmith on Thursday March 28 2019, @05:47PM (1 child)
Graded licensing exists for certain roadways and vehicle sizes in my location, but I'm not sure how having a range of allowed speeds would work on any given highway. I see a traffic nightmare with that.
As for the alcohol: I'm a fim believer in 0%. Twelve hours bottle to throttle. There are enough poorly skilled drivers out there that adding the risk of any impairment to the driver is a disaster waiting to happen. I enjoy my brew and whiskey, but it has no place on the roadway.
Pro utilitate hominum.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Immerman on Thursday March 28 2019, @06:27PM
Vehicle sizes would be another option - I see a speed grade working not by meaning you drive slow on the freeway, but that you're not allowed on the freeway in the first place. Though as I think on it, that'd mean you'd be redirecting incompetent drivers from a relatively easy-to-handle freeway, onto much more chaotic normal streets. Probably not a net benefit...
There's some argumenst to be made for zero alcohol tolerance - though I think a similar argument could be applied to using cell phones (even hands-free have been shown to contribute to more accidents than modest intoxication), eating, and having non-restrained-and-gagged children in the car.