Vocal Voices

Over the last few years cars have become very sophisticated. Buy a new car today and you are likely to be offered one with
Autonomous braking
Lane departure warning system
Speed limit recognition
Reversing cameras
Parking sensors
automatic parking
etc etc

For someone who started driving when seat belts were the big thing there's a lot of tech to take on board.

But from 2022 things are going to get even busier. The EU is in the process of passing laws that mean new cars sold from 2022 are going to have:-
GPS and/or traffic sign recognition to determine the speed limit of the road, with your car adjusting its engine power accordingly. Granted, the ETSC says that initially, the system will switch off once you floor the gas, mostly "to aid public acceptance at introduction."
A 'black box' data logging system Data loggers. When, where, how fast. And the data will be available to whom?
Camera-based driver fatigue detection
Alcohol interlock installation facilitation. A breathalyzer?
Emergency stop signal

It's all too big brother for me I'm afraid. I knew I should never have sold that Triumph Vitesse!

I know what you mean …… We currently have a 10 yo small hatchback that might as well be a horse and cart compared with the sophistication of modern day cars.

Some innovations are good, but others I am very wary of - especially those like speed limiters that effectively reduce your control of the car in emergency situations. Insurance companies are already pushing "black boxes" but how long before that technology gives "them" complete knowledge of your movements?

Reversing cameras and parking sensors are all very well, but they didn't manage to stop someone of our acquaintance recently going straight back into a bollard!

My next car will be my last and it will be a 'freedom' car.

We are rushing in to a total control and 20 mph speed limit world with no evidence to support them.

I threatened Leeds Highways with a FOI request if it did not answer a few questions. Some of their replies are as follows:

The Association of Chief Police Officers dictates what mean speed should be prevalent on a 20mph scheme, rather than dictating what streets should or should not be 20mph. In this case, they dictate that a mean speed of 24mph must be seen (10%+2mph, the enforceable limit) and it is Central Government via the Department for Transport that has dictated that all residential streets should be 20mph, as per the initial paragraph.
In response to the further questions:
1. There have been zero recorded injury accidents along the route in the last five years, however this is not a core reason for introducing the lower speed limit

20 mph speed limits are being introduce piecemeal by councils to avoid a change in national law, and they are having to be physically enforced with humps, bumps and chicanes because they are not acceptable to the majority of drivers.

I predict the rise of a black market to disable or re-map these new technologies. I would be a customer.