Advocacy & Safety - Finally, a useful gadget for the car...

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8574

The classic arguement against such devices is that they may make drivers pay less attention to the road. (I don't know if this is the case or not, just that that is what is often said)

Al

The way I see it, if you don't want to pay attention while traveling, take the bus, or at least have someone else drive. No amount of "safety" devices will help when you royaly screw up.

I would group technology in with vehicle stability control as something that will make roads less safe rather than the intended safety increase. People will tend to drive faster with the thought that their margin for error is increased by this technology when that's not it's purpose (or am I just too naive?). Either way, I don't think anything good can come out of taking responsibility away from the driver who is supposed to have complete control of their vehicle at all times and should be responsible for it if they do not. Imagine trying to fight against the car company who developed the software that "failed" and landed you in the hospital. Of course the driver isn't responsible as the software was intended to make sure he didn't hit anything.

Gotta love the title "clever car keeps an eye on stray pedestrians" and the first line "a prototype vehicle capable of spotting pedestrians who stray into the road". If you didn't know what was a pedestrian, you'd get the impression that it's something like a deer mindlessly wandering into the road that could present a hazard to the car driver.

When I am on a bike I often feel like this is a more useful gaget for a car.
http://doom3.planet-multiplayer.de/images/content/chainsaw.jpg :D

I just hope Micro$oft isn't the "software" they use? The number of deaths will rise... ;0)

I am sure this won't be in all vehicles for years to come... unless it is mandated by the government. They will be costly in the beginning.

God forbid someone actually walks on the "holy" precious street that isn't incased in steel!

Keep Cycling,

They might as well invent a system that drives the car, so the 'driver' can play with his/her toys without endangering others. And no manual override, either.

Quote from "Tron"- "Won't that be something, the machines will start thinking and the people will stop".

Quote from "Tron"- "Won't that be something, the machines will start thinking and the people will stop".
I can't wait. Thanks to the Internet, I already don't have to remember anything.

I believe I'd rather pay attention and be in control rather than have sensors and a computer do it for me.

"...activating external safety features, such as outer airbags."

I guess it'd be slightly better to be hit by an outer airbag on a car going 50 mph then by the grill, but I somehow expect that it wouldn't be that much better.

I can't wait. Thanks to the Internet, I already don't have to remember anything.

I believe I'd rather pay attention and be in control rather than have sensors and a computer do it for me.
The idea isn't to have the sensors do it for you -- it's a system that helps people catch stuff they missed. The type of person who would rely totally on a sensor to detect a cyclist is the same sort that isn't paying attention in first place (kind of like people who back up when they don't know what's behind them)

People already aren't paying attention. Anything in the middle of the road WILL get hit after a very short amount of time -- that's why any animal that wanders onto a busy highway has a life expectancy of minutes at best.

Every year or so, I have someone use the shoulder as a deacceleration lane from 65+ when I'm right in front of them. This has led to some razor close calls. I've had to ride into the ditch (or the traffic flow) to avoid getting hit and cars have spun out when they see me at the last instant and overcorrect when they swerve to avoid me.

I cannot imagine how a device that beeps or does something else to prevent an impending collision could be a bad thing. Maybe it's too ambitious. For starters, they should equip cars with alarm clocks so the people driving on autopilot actually wake up from time to time. Driving drunk may not be socially acceptable, but driving half asleep or inattentatively certainly is.

I guess if it would be put as an option on expensive and overly large SUVs then at least everytime Joe Jerk tried to buzz me at least he would get an annoying bell going off or something. :)

Actually, the system sends an email to your PDA. You run over the hapless slug anyway while reading the message.