AU - Speed limiters to be trialled on NSW roads

**Carrots** · 05-18-2009, 08:17 PM

Despite all the signs, the fines, and the patrols, motorists in New South Wales keep on speeding.

Now a new option is being considered to slow drivers down.

The Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) device cuts power to the engine if a driver goes over the speed limit and ignores a warning to slow down.

A device fitted to the dashboard picks up information about the speed limit on the road from satellites. A warning goes off if the motorist exceeds the limit. And if the driver continues to ignore the warning, power to the engine is cut.

Dr Soames Jobe is the director of the RTA's Centre for Road Safety.

"It actually talks to the computer which manages the engine, and it tells that computer to limit the available fuel to the engine so that it will not exceed a certain speed, whatever speed limit you're in," Dr Jobe said.

"Typically in the ones I've driven, a voice comes on and says '60 kilometres an hour' or '50 kilometres an hour' or whatever the speed limit is you're in to remind you that you have exceeded that speed limit."

The NSW Government first flagged the idea last year and has now put out a tender for the supply of the ISA units.

The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has been mapping the speed zones in the Wollongong region and will start trialling 40 devices from next month.

Another 60 cars will be fitted with machines that send out a warning when the speed limit has been breached.

The project will run for up to 18 months to test the reliability of the machines.

Dr Jobe says the trial will measure a number of things like the impact on speeds and vehicle running costs.

"What impact does it have on speeds? What impact does it have on the risk of being caught by speed camera, or the risk of crashing? And what impact does it have, for example, on the cost of running the vehicle?" he said.

"We expect it's going to be cheaper to run the vehicle if you're not exceeding the speed limit, accelerating harder in urban traffic in order to get above the speed limit.

"So we expect there'll be savings for the environment ... as well as, most importantly for us, road safety improvements."

Roads Minister Michael Daley says the technology could save lives and the devices could one day become standard issue in all cars.

"The information we gather from the trial will be used to formulate practical applications for the technology, and it may be that in time, ISA could become a standard safety device offered by car manufacturers, similar to the way ABS brakes and airbags have now become standard safety features for cars in this country," Mr Daley said.

If the device is successful the Government stands to lose more than $80 million in revenue collected from speeding fines, but Mr Daley says that is not a concern.

"The incidence of speed-related fatalities and injuries costs our community billions of dollars each year. If speeding revenues were to fall dramatically, I'd be the happiest roads minister in Australia."

Speed limiters to be trialled on NSW roads - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

snoopyc4 · 05-18-2009, 08:58 PM

good thing that'll never come to the US

**Carrots** · 05-18-2009, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by snoopyc4

good thing that'll never come to the US

Ya hope.

But yeah I think it's destined for a FAIL.

1. GPS is not 100% accurate and what about GPS blackspots.
2. There is an override switch from what I've read elsewhere.
3. No way they would let go of the millions in speeding revenues.
4. I will take responsibilities for my own actions thanks.

**supercowpowers** · 05-19-2009, 06:06 AM

Relinquishing control* of your vehicle to satellites...

What could possibly go wrong?

*(Yes I know GPS's only receive from the satellites but that's not the point)

**kpatz** · 05-19-2009, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by Carrots

"The incidence of speed-related fatalities and injuries costs our community billions of dollars each year. If speeding revenues were to fall dramatically, I'd be the happiest roads minister in Australia."

We'll see about that... I think the only thing this will prove is that speed alone does NOT kill. People will still kill themselves in their steel cages, whether speeding or not.