Article in the Times today HERE regarding the use of "Big Brother" speed limiters being used in cars in the future :thumbdwn: ............. and the test cars are Fabia RSs by the look of it.

As with everything someone will find a way to bypass it.

Tin Foil?

If it can't see em, how can you go anywhere, failsafe has to be unlimited for tunnels etc.

But I guess they'll put a work around...

TBH if it means plod are taken off bridge camping duty on sunny evenings when the m-way is clear then I for one will be happier.

My 2penneth anyway.

He said that even the simplest versions of ISA would prevent drivers from drifting over the limit and being flashed by speed cameras.

I seem to remember there used to be things by the side of the road that would tell you what the speed limit was.

What were they called again?

:confused:

Signs i think, but don't hold me to that

I seem to remember there used to be things by the side of the road that would tell you what the speed limit was.

What were they called again?

:confused:

Traffic cops with LTI20/20's ?

Looks like a Furby vrs seats but the dials are wrong.

the test cars are Fabia RSs by the look of it.

Indeed, these have been fitted by speed limiters for quite a while now.

The technical name is "the engine"...

Rob.

Indeed' date=' these have been fitted by speed limiters for quite a while now.

The technical name is "the engine"...

Rob.[/quote']

Yawn - change the record Rob.

:moon:

But what I'm seeing is true.

The Fabia vRS is speed limited by the fact they opted for the PD130 unit instead of the 1.8T. Or any of the other raft of modern Audi engines...

Rob.

bit like the old smartie car.....

...which doesn't make any claims to being "sporty"...

Rob.

Getting back on topic From the diagram, it says "If driver exceeds the speed limit accelerator vibrates but driver can override the system by pressing down hard". So to overcome the speed limiter, the driver accelerates Foolproof

Chris

Indeed' date=' these have been fitted by speed limiters for quite a while now.

The technical name is "the engine"...

Rob.[/quote']

Come on Furby owners, it's just tongue in cheek!

Andy

So to overcome the speed limiter' date=' the driver accelerates Foolproof

[/quote']

Wonder if it comes with a free bottle of snake oil?

Rob.

Oooooo now theres an idea... vibrating pedals. that could be quite soothing

Getting back on topic From the diagram' date=' it says "If driver exceeds the speed limit accelerator vibrates but driver can override the system by pressing down hard". So to overcome the speed limiter, the driver accelerates Foolproof

Chris[/quote']

My first car, a 1986 Suzuki Jeep, had one of those, started to vibrate around 5mph...

I might be wrong about this but I seem to recall a similar story being around a couple of years ago. The cars were being tested in several countries around the EU and thy were using Fabias then. Perhaps they've upgraded the seats?

If this is to be offered as an option how much would it cost? I certainly wouldn't pay for an annoying vibrating accelerator pedal. Would rather spend the cash on one of the GPS based devices that tells you the speed limit for the road you're on & warns you of any cameras etc, bet the cost would be similar.

It certainly looks like a Furby VRS maybe clocks have been modded to allow speed limit display, RHD car with LHD mats too by the looks of it.

The article I read talked of 2 test areas in the UK, with the possibility of a National thing if it proved successful. There appeared to be no escape if it went National, so any sort of speeding would be a thing of the past.

Of course, there will be some who would find a way so circumnavigate the whole thing, but I can see it being part of the MOT test, as well as illegal to touch.

Persoanlly, I dont condone speeding, but I do not agree with this sort of device..unless they are going to clear the roads for me so as to not impede my journeys in any way.

As an extra thought, who would want to buy a car, new or used, that had any sort of technology like this on board?

Theres a few problems I see with this...

1. It would not allow you to always accelerate out of danger - how many times have you exceeded the speed limit when overtaking - the quicker you can pass something, the safer it is. Restricting cars in this way is not safe IMO.

2. Lost revenue for the government. Speeding is a good cash cow for the governemnt. Why would they jepordise that, although on this principle I'd be happy with it.

3. The speed limits in this country are stupid. I've just come back from Rochdale, and if I'd done 70mph all of the way, then not only would it have taken me longer to get home, but I would have been the slowest car on the road - there were some long straight deserted stretches where IMO it would have been perfectly safe to do 130+ mph (and by the looks of it, some people probably were going that fast).

I would be in favour of the system IF they have realistic speed limits and limit the car in a safe way (i.e. allowing short bursts of speed to overtake), and also if it wiped out speed cameras. However, that aint gonna happen, is it...

I would be in favour of the system IF they have realistic speed limits and limit the car in a safe way (i.e. allowing short bursts of speed to overtake), and also if it wiped out speed cameras.

For what its worth I'm with you on this one. The system could work just like an automatic cruise control and take account of driving conditions, ie M26 at 11pm, max speed = say 100mph, M25 past heathrow on a monday morning, max = 40mph or whatever. Also could lower it automatically when it rains a bit like in france.

Long term I tend to think its just the first step towards cars that drive themselves entirely, cars must be the biggest killer by quite a margin in this country. And everywhere is always just a big traffic jam anyway.

Whatever happened to that linear motors under motorways idea?

Long term I tend to think its just the first step towards cars that drive themselves entirely' date=' cars must be the biggest killer by quite a margin in this country. And everywhere is always just a big traffic jam anyway.

Whatever happened to that linear motors under motorways idea?[/quote']

I think alcohol and tobacco abuse are bigger killers than cars...and they don't have any benefits!

I think cars that drive themselves isn't a good idea, nor being made to cruise in a boring way on motorways...if you want that, get a train...

Rob.

I think cars that drive themselves isn't a good idea' date=' nor being made to cruise in a boring way on motorways...if you want that, get a train...

[/quote']

Even my car is probably cleaner than a train, and less chance of being mugged!!

Even my car is probably cleaner than a train, and less chance of being mugged!!

I was speaking theoretically rather than practically. :P But let me rephrase it anyway..."if you want that, get a clean train with security"...

Rob.