Concept for new HW/SW to combat bad driving - Page 3

RetroPlayer · 04-12-2006, 08:33 AM

It has been asked what I consider to be bad driving:

1. Accelerating to 50MPH in a 35MPH zone, then just letting off your gas until you drop to 20MPH, then repeating. This is bad driving behavior. Pick a speed, even if it is beyond the speed limit and stick to it. Simple.

2. Not using turn signals. That is really more lazy than anything else. Usually, noone would be harmed by that.

3. Driving too fast or too slow in comparison with the traffic around you. In fact, I would say driving too slow causes more accidents than too fast.

4. Hitting your brakes for no apparent reason or because it is now your turn to talk in your cell phone conversation or you need to look at the passenger beside you while you talk.

5. Pulling out into traffic when you clearly do not have room to fit without oncoming traffic having to hit thier brakes.

6. Passing someone only to pull in front of them and turn 10 feet ahead.

7. Not respecting the safe driving distance between cars and pulling into that spot, causing the person behind you to have to hit thier brakes to regain that safe distance.

8. Speeding up when a light turns yellow (meaning to slow to a stop...red light coming...in America) when it is obvious the light will turn red during your journey through the intersection.

9. Not understanding threeway or fourway stop signs. You cannot just pull out whenever you feel like you have waited long enough.

10. Two people should not be in the intersection at the same time at a 3-way or 4-way stop.

11. Turning a corner without looking first.

12. Switching lanes without looking, just because someone is stopping in front of you. People around here anyway don't use thier brakes when someone stops in front of them, they just whip over.

The ENTIRE point of my argument is simply that people need to start realizing that the decisions they make while driving do not always only affect them. An accident is when you are doing your best to be careful and you still hurt yourself or someone else. Wrecklessness is when you just decide to take a risk when it is not only a risk to yourself. It is very simple, you do not have the right to make that decision without consequence. Accidents happen by mistake, but wreckless behavior brings that probablity to 50/50.

Scott McDonnell

anky1 · 04-12-2006, 09:03 AM

retro, the main thought of getting to people to no longer be "bad drivers" (whatever your definition may be.) is good. i think this is how it could work.

-insurance companies will install system in your car. (very optional)

-while you're doing something wreckless a notification could come over the speakers and say something to the effect of "wake up" or "stay in your lane buddy"

-after each driving session you would get an overall score. an average of a large number of things including: speed, attentiveness, etc.

-then based on your score for a month your insurance company would give you a better deal. (i don't think that giving someone a higher insurance premium is a "good idea")

-and at the same time this system would give you tips on how to drive better.

-it would work, even "bad" drivers would get it done if it wouldn't increase their premium. and it would teach them how to become a better driver thru voice notification, statistics, and rewards.

(I know my punctuation, grammar and spelling suck, but i sliced my finger open last night with a knife. so its tough to type)

Chris31 · 04-12-2006, 11:49 AM

The HW/SW can also remind the driver to take a rest during a long motorway drive.

Based on the distance traveled, speed, lastime the driver had a rest, time of the day etc, the HW/SW can then calculate if the driver is due for a rest. The driver is reminded to take the next service station, POIs on the GPS apps.

The above idea came because at one time I dosed off for a few seconds while driving. The car veered to the right on the the fast lane, luckily the driver on the right lane realised something was wrong and moved out of the way and I woke up in time before I hit the barrier.

My passenger was half awake, and I remember we were actually talking about something while we are both half asleep, we didnt realised we are that tired after a really long day. Since then I promised myself not to let it happen ever again...always take a break when tired.

anky1 · 04-12-2006, 12:15 PM

"Take Five...Stay Alive!" is new jersey's motto. http://www.state.nj.us/oag/newsrelea...20021126a.html

not exactly what chris is saying... but can be used in the same context. if you are tired and fatigued whether it be from a long day or long trip... take five minutes(maybe more) and rest. nothing is as important as your life or someone else's for that matter.

Enforcer · 04-12-2006, 12:31 PM

What next?

A little program running in the background to detect the female menstrual cycle, because we know how dangerous it would be if a woman starting bleeding whilst driving at 80MPH on a motorway.

anky1 · 04-12-2006, 01:46 PM

I hope to have that out in the next release

Chris31 · 04-12-2006, 05:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Enforcer

What next?

A little program running in the background to detect the female menstrual cycle, because we know how dangerous it would be if a woman starting bleeding whilst driving at 80MPH on a motorway.

NO,

The HW/SW detect if a "1997 BMW E36 328I" is around the area. If it is then HW/SW automatically divert you to a much safer route

RetroPlayer · 04-12-2006, 06:17 PM

Anky1,

I think you may have hit on something there. The key is the potential for insurance discount and maybe the score (like a game?) Perhaps this would be a little more 'friendly.'

Really, the idea is just to give someone the incentive to drive safely. Right now, there is no incentive other than the remote possibility that a police officer 'might' enforce the rules if he happens to see you and give you fine. This shouldn't be neccessary. A law based on common sense is about as silly as warnings on hair dryers not to use them in showers!

Other than that, there is no incentive. As I said, bad driving behavior is culturally accepted, or at least tolerated and justified. That seemed to me to be the core of the problem which I was trying to strike at. But, there are other ways to go about it than my proposed idea. I actually like yours a little better than mine (the only trouble would be getting the insurance companies to play along.)

Thank you,
Scott McDonnell

Chris31 · 04-12-2006, 06:39 PM

I can imagine this get posted everywhere >>> "Where can I find the cheat code for this insurance thingy box?"

Specimen · 04-12-2006, 09:11 PM

IMO I don’t think putting our driving experiences on TV will help all too much with the problem. You have to realize that not all accidents are from people purposely driving recklessly. There are people out there that are just bad drivers. Making fun of them is not going to help them improve their driving skills.

If you take the reverse side of it, people who speed and weave in and out of traffic, peel out when the light turns green, and actually drive recklessly on purpose are doing it either to get to their destination faster or are trying to impress people/friends. So if we were to show them on TV, a lot of people will either continue to do this, or will start to drive recklessly just to be on TV. I mean American Idol, (for us Americans, I forgot what the UK calls their similar show) is a perfect example. SO many people go to those auditions to be made fun of and to get attention and be on TV. I mean people submit funny home video’s to be seen on TV. I’ve seen people on the internet play videos of themselves speeding down streets with a speed cam flashing 150 mph. Just so they can get attention. Allowing these people to be shown on TV will just encourage more people to do it causing more accidents.

In a society where humiliation of oneself is acceptable (especially on TV and the Internet) I don’t see that as a deterrent, but rather a motivation to drive recklessly.

I think the benefiting good drivers like that point system above would be a better way of going about it.

RetroPlayer · 04-13-2006, 07:11 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Chris31

I can imagine this get posted everywhere >>> "Where can I find the cheat code for this insurance thingy box?"

So true.

RetroPlayer · 04-13-2006, 07:17 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Specimen

In a society where humiliation of oneself is acceptable (especially on TV and the Internet) I don’t see that as a deterrent, but rather a motivation to drive recklessly.

I think the benefiting good drivers like that point system above would be a better way of going about it.

Very convincing argument. I agree. Now just to modify the idea into one that will work with that concept. Since starting out thinking the insurance companies will just go along willingly without market research will not work, I am thinking along the lines of the 'game' type aspect of it. Perhaps if the insurance companies see it working, they might join in.

Any suggestions along these lines?

Scott McDonnell

RetroPlayer · 04-13-2006, 07:21 AM

Hey....actually, wait a minute. I could have sworn that I had read about black boxes in cars that rewarded good drivers with lower insurance before (a few years ago.) What ever became of that? Going to have to do some googling.

RetroPlayer · 04-13-2006, 07:23 AM

Yeah...this:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/maga...ures/50322.htm

Wonder how that worked out?

Edit:
Looks like they are still offering it. I'm not sure I like the idea of it as it is. They claim it would not be used to raise premiums, but that is untrue. They may not use YOUR data to raise YOUR premium, but they could (and probably will) use aggregate information in a market area to broadly raise premiums. Which is worse...MY insurance rates go up because of a large number of bad drivers in MY area. That 25% discount doesn't look so good, then. Raise the price of something, and then put it on sale for 10% above what it was originally....seen that before

https://tripsense.progressive.com/ab...HowDeviceWorks

Scott M.

RetroPlayer · 04-13-2006, 07:45 AM

OK, crazy side turn here....but....

What if we used a 'black box', GPS and other sensors to allow a user to 'replay' a drive in a 3D simulation? Then they could play around with what-if scenarios, look at measured risks, etc..

You could track paths using GPS, weather conditions using other sensors, speed etc.. using OBDII. The main problem is recreating other drivers on the road. Just a random thought..

Scott M.