GpsGamePlay.com - ...install electronics to control speed of vehicles in this country (using GPS)?

Why government would not install electronics to control speed of vehicles in this country (using GPS)?

I have solution for energy saving and saving lives. Government should obligate auto manufacturers install electronic devices which use GPS and cell phone technology to do automated speed violation report to traffic police. Which will print out fine, which will be mailed to the car owner. ALL AUTOMATED. RESULT? LESS DEPENDANCE ON ARABIAN OIL, LESS POLUTION, SAVED LIVES. LESS TRAFFIC JAMS. WHAT EVERYONE THINKS ABOUT IT?

Public Comments

i don't want gps being used on me in any way. too many ways the technology could be abused and this would be setting a dangerous precedent. the fourth amendment would protect against this as an unlawful search, because there is no probable cause to believe that everyone would be breaking the law.
I think they should install big vacuum tubes, like at the bank, save lots of energy. solar and wind power are underestimated, also.
I want more control over my own life and less by any cyber/smart intrusive moronic electronic device helping out the enemy our government or some other dictatorship! Are you human or a sheep?
It's a little thing called a governor that goes overtop of the throttle line. They've got 'em. People who get their liscense back after too many speeding violations are often required to use one for about six months. Same thing with drunk driving. If you lose you liscense for a DUI, once you get it back, you have to have an "inter-lock" system installed in your car. It's bassically just a breathilizer you have to use to start the car, and periodically during the drive.
It's a violation of your rights. In america, you have the right to do just about anything, as long as it doesn't violate another citizen's right. I mean while your at it - why don't you go ahead and tap my phone line, track my emails, and just for the hell of it, surgically implant a gps transmitter in my body so you can track me anywhere. That way you can fine me or arrest me if I end up in an illegal place. Here's a thought for you - let's explore land that we already have and possibly find new oil reserves. I would be in favor of giving tax breaks to any auto manufacturer that could provide modifications to gasoline engines that would greatly increase MPG or run safely on other types of feul.
There are a many issues with this idea. Probably most important is the issue of privacy. Americans especially are very protective of their right to privacy and this measure would be seen as an infringement of this right. Driving laws in this country are based on the fact that the roads are owned and maintained by governments. Therefore, the use of motor vehicles thereon is a privilege rather than a right. Even so, there are protections on how information can be gathered on drivers. For examples of this, look into the controversy over photo radar installations, mentioned here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_radar The issue with GPS tracking is that not only is your speed information suject to government scrutiny, but so is your location, regardless of whether or not you're breaking any laws. This level of government oversight would be widely opposed on the basis of the possibility of abuse. As far as traffic jams go, I'm not sure how slower speeds would reduce them, even if you could show that reduced speeds would reduce the number of accidents. If you have 100000 cars leaving a city in the evening, lower average speed will merely lengthens rush hour traffic. Finally, the amount of information involved is enormous. In Los Angeles, CA, the peak traffic density is approximately 125000 vehicle miles traveled per square mile. To get useful information about speed and position, the resolution of data must be relatively high (more often than once a minute). Location information would have to be transmitted to the regulating agency, then compared to a database of speed limits for each position. If cellular communications were chosen as a means for data transfer, the networks in the cities would be overwhelmed. If local network communications were set up alongside the roads, implementation costs would be prohibitive. There are roughly 100 million private automobiles in the United States. The cost of installing devices in each one would also be a large barrier. Another question to consider is how to prevent tampering with the devices. The government would need a method of ensuring that cars on the road are actively transmitting their information while in operation on public roads. A final complicating factor is jurisdictions. Depending on where you are, different entities are cahrged with establishing and enforcing speed limits. information would have to be sorted and distributed depending on location, which means that some institution would have to receive and decode the information before it is determined who may have a right to see that information. There are other issues. One is establishing who was driving the vehicle, since the registration just provides the police with the owner's information. Another is poor GPS signal reception in cities. Political issues would also come up in addition to the legal ones. My conclusion is that it would never get past the discussion stage.