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Citation |
Barnes J. ITS Int. 2012; 18: 45-47. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2012, Route One Publishing) |
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DOI |
unavailable |
PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
This article considers the social and ethical ramifications of using in-vehicle safety technologies to fulfill enforcement functions. Although policy documents often imply close correlation between enforcement, compliance and safety, there is a noticeable reluctance among policy makers and auto manufacturers to exploit in-vehicle safety systems for enforcement applications. From a technical perspective there is good reason to explore these systems because they have access to the real in-vehicle state and can highlight what information has already been relayed to the driver. There is a comprehensive list of enforcement and compliance applications in which in-vehicle systems could take a role. These include speed, red light, illegal lane-change/turn and tailgating enforcement, and others of a commercial nature such as uneven/over-loading. Electronic stability control systems are already widely deployed and these work by assessing a vehicle's dynamic status using various sensors and can, in times of need, intervene in the driving task to adjust braking, steering and powertrain output to prevent or minimize loss of control. Onboard satellite navigation and other systems can already provide precise fixes on vehicles' locations in relation to their surroundings, especially in less densely urbanized areas. The article discusses how new technologies and applications will intervene to an even greater extent in the driving task while the two-way exchange of information between vehicles and/or infrastructure will make the association of a whole host of data streams far more readily achievable. For instance, in the case of a red light infringement, information on a vehicle's position, speed and vector could be combined with nearby traffic signals' status and used to confirm whether or not an offense had occurred. Language: en |