Car Accidents and Speeding
I am not an expert of any form however I have been thinking on this for many years. You see my brother died many years ago in a car accident and over the years I have heard of so many tragic stories.
It seems to me that technology has improved so much especially in the last few years and yet we don’t seem to be utilising it in respect of the road toll.
The latest innovation I have heard of is about GPS. Apparently nowadays they can not only provide us with our current location but also inform us of up to the minute road conditions.
My question: why doesn’t some intelligent being utilise this technology and provide a computer system installed in a vehicle with localised speed limits which are then fed into a speed limiter so it becomes extremely difficult for anyone to speed on our roads.
This could be retrospectively and mandatorily fitted into ALL vehicles on our roads and I should think that unless anyone has in mind that they should be allowed to speed when and where they want there should be little objection.
Thank you for allowing me to voice an opinion.
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alison gordon
January 28, 2010 at 5:24 am
or as an alternative
What you say is very true and you’d probably have a difficult time finding someone who doesn’t agree that speeding remains a hugely dangerous problem for motorists and pedestrians.
Technology is one way to address the hazard, but it is of course expensive and probably a time consuming operation to fit vehicles with such a device.
I personally don’t understand why we don’t just remove some of the speed camera warning signs we have in NSW. I’m sure all drivers very much appreciate the sufficient warning to slow down to avoid the fine and points loss, however if they simply double their speed as soon as they pass it, is it really fixing the problem?
Of course some would argue that having the camera there in the first place is doing a better job than nothing at all, but with so many accidents still occuring, it’s probably time for a different solution.
deaconite
January 29, 2010 at 8:36 am
Re: Speed Cameras
Thank you Alison for your comments.
Yes it would be expensive to fit every car with a GPS system tied in with a speed limiter, however weighed up against the overwhelming cost to the community and to families and individuals it is a small price to pay and can be made up by people staying alive and living long, healthy and productive lives in the community.
This cost to the community and to families and individuals has never been and can never be totally borne by the use of speed cameras wether they be visible and sign posted or hidden. Please take note that for every person we hear about dying in a car accident there are many more who are injured and possibly permanently disabled. There is no amount of compensation that would ever replace a person or make up for the loss of the use of a limb.
Just recently one of my daughter’s friends died in a car accident when he sped through a red light. The intersection is controlled by both speed and red light cameras. More and more I am hearing similar stories and it seems for some young drivers especially getting a speeding fine is like a badge of honour.
Fact is that police from all parts of Australia would agree that speed is the biggest killer and its not just a matter of young people speeding, I am 56 years old and there have been enough times when I have been pulled over for speeding and it can happen, I believe, to anyone anywhere where a person can have a momentary lapse in concentration and find they are going 5 – 10 kms over the speed limit. In regard to your argument about removing signs warning of speed cameras, in these situations a person at least has a chance to check their speed without the signs who knows what might happen.
alison gordon
February 1, 2010 at 3:31 am
the flip side
I agree with the core of your agreement, no one would dare argue that a life is not worth the cost of a GPS system, I am just guessing what line some executives in charge of the bottom line might be thinking (removing their personal views and looking at it purely from a dollars perspective, rightly or wrongly).
The up side of removing speed limit signs is that you don’t know where the cameras are – people may take their chances, or people may not in the fear that they can get caught anywhere at anytime. For some it’s a positive deterrant.
As for young driver attitudes – this is not something the police, or any kind of technology, can address by itself. Families and school systems have to be brought into the picture here as well.
deaconite
February 4, 2010 at 2:30 am
Costings
I gather what you mean is to remove the signs indicating speed cameras ahead not the speed limit signs?
I don’t have access to costings as I am not involved in any related fields and I do understand what you say about financiers looking at the bottom line however I feel that if all costings are taken into account i.e.:
Police, Police accident investigators, Firebrigade and ambulance paramedics attending accident scene; Coronial enquiry; Funeral costs; trauma councelling for all involved; hospital costs; cost to society because of priority given to accident victims; rehabilitation of those injured; care facilities for those permanently disabled;… the list goes on!
I’m not a great mathematician and it doesn’t take one to see the savings will far outweigh the cost besides in new cars the cost I would imagine would be incorporated into the price of the vehicle.
As far as educating young people, it has been my long held belief that they should be better educated about road rules and driving. The majority will listen and do the right thing however, you only need to look at the number of accidents as a percentage of population to realise that it is usually the minority who don’t listen and who have the accidents.
Young people spend a lot of time watching movies about fast cars and outlaws and play car racing games. Their minds tick over much faster than that of a mature person however their hand-eye coordination is not quite right. They want to move fast because its "Sick" (cool) but their experience is lacking.