Posts tagged Driving at Switched

Posts with tag driving

Video Games Blamed for Bad Driving

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 19th 2008 at 8:40AM

Anyone who has ever played an extended 'Grand Theft Auto' session, only to have to later get behind the wheel of a car, doesn't need to be told that video games are a bad influence on drivers. We constantly drive down the street mentally tallying how many points we would score for nailing the old lady with the walker and how much air we could get if we floored it over this upcoming hill. But leave it to German researchers and Australian law enforcement to confirm the glaringly obvious.

In a new study, German researchers claim that video games that let players drive recklessly, crash, and otherwise have fun, are causing people to be less responsible behind the wheel. Interestingly, they say driving games only negatively affect the real driving skills of men. One researcher, Supt Evans, pointed to the obvious disconnect from reality, "In games you race, you crash and it is a matter of pressing the buttons and off you go again. In real life it doesn't work that way, you can be killed." Thanks for that brilliant analysis.

We smell another crusade in the making, in which video games become the scape goat.

We're not denying that playing some of these games might actually have an impact on how a person drives, but let's be honest, people drive recklessly because they're jerks with no concern for the safety of others, not because they just played 'Gran Turismo 5.' What do you think? [From: News.com.au]

Fujitsu's In-Car Safety Tech Senses Drowsiness, Wakes You Up

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 8th 2008 at 11:16AM

Not that we haven't seen similar technology from other outfits before, but we'll take as many in-car safety advancements as we can get. It's bruited that Fujitsu is conjuring up a sophisticated sensor system that can actually detect when a driver gets drowsy or begins to sink into a deep, dark wonder-world of sleep. Put simply, the system would detect specific changes in the motorist's heart rate via the steering wheel, and once it determined that you weren't exactly "with it" any longer, the car could then roll its own windows down, blast the stereo or jolt the wheel in order to get your attention. In our minds, the biggest issue here is to not cause an accident by spooking a sleepy driver out of their slumber, and we presume that's exactly what the company is working on in its R&D labs.

[Image courtesy of MetroHealth]

New Car Technology Guarantees Green Lights All the Time

by Kaiser Hwang, posted Oct 21st 2008 at 3:47PM

Traffic lights exist to control the flow of traffic, ensuring that we don't all go driving like maniacs on the road. But what if there was a technology that made it so we never had to stop at a light -- ever? Believe it or not, that's the idea behind Audi's new Travolution device -- and if early test results are to be believed, the wireless attachment could significantly reduce traffic congestion as well as exhaust emissions.

By connecting wirelessly to "smart" traffic lights, the Travolution calculates the distance of an upcoming light and then tells you how fast you need to go in order to reach the light as soon as it turns green. It's just like driving down your favorite road where you have the timing of the signal changes memorized, only it'll work with every road (well, the ones that have intelligent signals). By having cars constantly moving, traffic inevitably speeds up, gas mileage improves due to less stopping and starting, and less idling means less CO2 production. Can this device do no wrong?

Well, it's clear that the Travolution system has many potential benefits, and as mentioned, a two-year test that Audi conducted saw significant improvements in traffic congestion. But remember that in less than optimum situations (e.g. standstill traffic), the device may not provide any benefit at all. And don't forget that traffic lights will need to be refitted and reprogrammed to be compatible with the Travolution. So while we love the idea of a traffic-free city, we won't hold our breath for an actual release date. [From: Daily Mail]

77% of Americans Use Cell Phones to Text-Message While Driving

by Tim Stevens, posted Oct 21st 2008 at 12:42PM

Pervasive cell phone use is on the rise, and it's not just a concern with bad manners. We've reported on people walking in front of trains and crashing cars while focusing more on their phones than what they're doing. And don't forget that this summer's awful train crash in Los Angeles was blamed on a texting. Now, new survey by software company Neverfail, Inc is showing just how pervasive these dangerous habits are becoming, and the findings are disconcerting, to say the least.

The data shows that 77-percent of people have used their mobile e-mail device, like a BlackBerry, while driving a car. Ridiculously, 41-percent have done the same while either skiing, riding a horse, or riding a bicycle, and 11-percent have used one during a "romantic moment!" All the stats, available at the Read link below, are amazing sign of just how addicted to these things some people are. [From: Reuters]

Road-Kill Avoidance System Deployed in Colorado

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 14th 2008 at 2:10PM

No one wants to run over Bambi. It results in expensive damage to your car, and crying children when you have to drag the bloody corpse out of the roadway.

Colorado, a state where 70-percent of the highway collisions are the result of animals in the roadway, is testing out a new system to help drivers avoid running over larger creatures, which could also pose a danger to drivers.

The system uses an underground cable that detects when larger animals (like deer or bear) wander onto the road and activates signs to warn drivers of the obstacles awaiting them. A test is underway on US-160, where radar will be used to see if drivers slow down when warned of oncoming animals. If successful, expect to see this system deployed wherever sizable roadkill proliferates. [From: Autoblog]

Allstate Wants to Improve Driving with Video Games

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 3rd 2008 at 9:15AM

Apparently the trendy magic cure during these '00s is video games. They've been used to rehabilitate stroke victims and wounded soldiers, make us smarter, stave off the effects of aging, help immigrants become naturalized citizens, and even lose weight. Now Allstate is looking to add "become a better driver" to the list of things video games help you do.

The insurance giant is running a pilot program for drivers over 50 in Pennsylvania that uses a video game developed by Posit Science to increase visual acuity, cognitive skills, and reaction time. Allstate plans on distributing the game to 100,000 customers and comparing the accident rates to a control group of the same age that don't use the game.

Though drivers between 50 and 60 years old have the lowest accident rates, the rate starts to climb after 60. Allstate hopes this will help eliminate or reduced the impact of age-related decline. Lets just hope it also helps our senior motorists find the gas pedal. [From: USA Today]

Laser-Equipped Windshield Aims to Make Driving Easier

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 21st 2008 at 9:01AM

Apparently not everyone at General Motors is toiling away in an attempt to get the Volt ready for its 2010 debut, as another sector of the outfit's R&D division is busy creating a windshield that will, at its core, enable us to stop running stuff over. The futuristic glass would utilize lasers, sensors and cameras in order to help drivers see the road's edge better, recognize obstructions and enhance things ahead of us so we'll theoretically react faster.

Truth be told, the device is being designed with older drivers in mind, though we don't see why younger motorists won't benefit all the same. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you'll have to keep those toothpicks in your eyelids for a few more years, but at least we're one step closer to full-on autopilot. [Source: CNN]

Woman Gets Six Years for Simultaneously Drinking, Driving, and Calling

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 15th 2008 at 8:49AM

This is one of those cases where the sheer stupidity involved is overwhelming. If, by now, you're not fully aware of the dangers involved with driving while intoxicated, then you're probably too dumb to actually pass a road test anyway. However, to combine drunkenness, speeding, and talking on your cell phone takes a whole new level of carelessness.

Sarah Taylor, now 23, won't be getting out of jail until she's almost 30 because she got behind the wheel of her Fiat while heavily intoxicated and proceeded to have a conversation on her cell phone. Taylor slammed head on into the Mini of Melanie Simon Lee, who lost control of her vehicle and landed in lanes of oncoming traffic on the M61 highway near Brindle, England. At the time of the impact, Lee's car was stopped in the middle of the road and passers-by stopped to help her. Taylor, preoccupied and drunk, didn't notice the initial accident and then plowed into Lee's Mini, which is what caused the ultimately fatal injuries.

Taylor plead guilty in court and will serve six years in prison. Um, okay, since when does drinking-induced manslaughter get someone only six years? Let's hope this triple threat never drinks, drives, or talks on her cell phoen again. [Source: Cellular News, via Textually]

E-Citations Speed Up Ticketing Process

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 9:08AM

In a bold yet somehow disconcerting move into the 21st century's "paperless office" (if you drive and are prone to parking illegally), police forces and troopers in several states are going digital. Now, with the scan of a driver's license or the swipe of an ID card, officers are able to enter the location, type of violation and print the ticket -- all from a handheld device, according to Chief Deputy Derrick Cunningham of the Montgomery County (Alabama) Sheriff's Office. The electronic citations are ultimately meant to replace handwritten tickets, and are expected to improve accuracy and save time.

Cunningham also expects the move to also improve upon two problems in his office: Poor handwriting and ticket fixing. "No more can people call and say, 'I just got a speeding ticket, can you do something about it?'" he told USA Today, because the ticket is electronically transferred directly to court.

Which is great for efficiency and all. We love tickets. Man, we're really excited.

Check out the state-by-state roundup after the jump. [Source: USA Today]

More States Restricting Texting While Driving -- an Update

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 25th 2008 at 7:03PM

The large block of land to your left called California is about to become the largest state to ban "unlimited cellphone use by drivers" -- namely, a law prohibiting drivers under 18 from talking on the phone, and requiring older drivers to use a hands-free headset. New York, Washington D.C., and now Washington state are all in on similar ventures as well. So USA TODAY asked insurance and driving experts to explain the new restrictions.

Things we learned:

1) The risk of having an "injury crash" increases by four times when a driver is on the phone, says Anne McCartt, a vice president with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

2) There is no proof that driving with a hands-free headset is any safer than using a cell phone, according to Jonathan Adkins, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. Studies have shown that drivers using headsets are just as distracted, he says.

3) In California, the base fine ranges from $20 to $50 -- and it can triple if certain penalties are applied. In Washington, fines start at $124.

Lots more informative talk after the jump, including a list of every state that has restrictions on texting or talking while driving, and what those restrictions are. Now pay attention here, folks -- both hands on the keyboard. [Source: USA Today]

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