Black boxes

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Tue 20 Sep 2005 08:53
Black boxes - Collos25
I see in this mornings DT black boxes have again surfaced with the promise of incentives to fit one ,if they can ever get them to work.
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Tue 20 Sep 2005 11:14
Black boxes for cars - artful dodger {P}
In today's Telegraph is an interesting article on fitting black boxes to make cars safer and slower.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005...l

What do you think?

Certainly would be a good idea for youngsters who have just passed their test. Maybe insurance companies will start insisting upon a black box as a way to reduce youngsters premiums.


--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to add to the thread.
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Tue 20 Sep 2005 11:44
Black boxes for cars - Quinny100
I don't see how they would make a blind bit of difference to road safety, but would benefit insurance companies in wangling their way out of insurance claims.

I don't think anyone delibrately drives in a manner they know to be unsafe or that will result in a collision so I can't see a road safety benefit.

These things will just end up as another enforcement tool for speeding which is the last thing we need.
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Tue 20 Sep 2005 12:21
Black boxes for cars - martint123
On another forum (non car) that I visit, someone has reported 30% off his premium by having one fitted.
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Tue 20 Sep 2005 17:02
Black boxes for cars - mare
I don't see how they would make a blind bit of
difference to road safety, but would benefit insurance companies in wangling
their way out of insurance claims.


Or present some evidence so that an incident can be reviewed objectively and the insurance companies can settle a claim based on facts. We should go further, after all a tiny camera in the front camera (like the Primera's reversing camera) would be able to show who crossed the line, did that child look before stepping out, was the traffic light red or green and so on. This has the potential to protect you and exonerate you if you are the innocent party.

I don't think anyone delibrately drives in a manner they know
to be unsafe or that will result in a collision so
I can't see a road safety benefit.


Maybe not deliberately, but people keep crashing, so there's clearly some room for improvement.
These things will just end up as another enforcement tool for
speeding which is the last thing we need.


Ah, that old chestnut. We all have an obligation having gained our driving licence to drive within the rules. Drive by the rules or don't bother. Or can we ignore the rules we don't agree with?

The more the better in my opinion. It's only my opinion though.
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Tue 20 Sep 2005 22:39
Black boxes for cars - Hugo {P}
"I don't think anyone delibrately drives in a manner they know to be unsafe or that will result in a collision so I can't see a road safety benefit."

I disagree entirely.

We are all risk takers to a degree, that's how addrenalin (spelling) is produced.

It's just that some people choose to take risks where other peoples safety and lives are at stake, without thinking through the possible consequences.

Others simply don't see the risks present in a situation, but that doesn't mean to say there is no road safety benefit to a device that may override an ill informed action by a driver.
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Wed 21 Sep 2005 22:50
Black boxes for cars - patently
I don't see how they would make a blind bit of
difference to road safety


It will have a huge effect on road safety.

All you will need to do in order to be safe is floor the throttle and the car will go to HMG's recommended speed for that road and no faster. And, because that speed is always correctly set, there will be no accidents.

Because, of course, speeding is the only cause of accidents.
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Tue 20 Sep 2005 22:43
Black boxes - AlastairW
Isn't NU experimenting with Pay as You Go insurance, operated via one of these black boxes? IMHO a very good idea, as a way of letting younger drivers buy better cars but not paying through the nose to insure them.
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Wed 21 Sep 2005 10:29
Black boxes - nick
The biggest problem with this sort of technology is that someone, somewhere, will find a way round it. The boxes must run some software and have a port to plug into. If they become commonplace, expect to see ads for 'black boxes reprogrammed or wiped'. If that is made illegal, you just won't see the ads but will have to ask down the pub instead.
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Wed 21 Sep 2005 23:23
Black boxes - Robin Reliant
The biggest problem will be having the government and all it's offshoots knowing exactly where you have been at any time of day or night.

We have enough history behind us to know where handing that sort of power to the state leads.
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