Honda's Satnav GPS warns of speed cameras, black spots - and crime spots?

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 10:26

Opinion and Analysis

Looks like GPS satnav systems will keep on expanding their usefulness to drivers, not only providing mapping, traffic information, red light and speed camera alerts and accident black spots – but now altering drivers to crime hotspots too... at least in Japan, thanks to Honda.

The AFP, Agence France Press, has uncovered Honda’s latest move to continue increasing the value of GPS navigation systems to Japanese drivers.

Japan is a country where GPS mapping is essential, with its myriad streets, some without street name signs, along with numerous tunnels and its complex, crowded cityscapes. No doubt locals know what they’re doing, but GPS still makes things so much simpler, and easier.

In my own case, I’ve just moved to Melbourne, one of Australia’s largest cities, and thanks to the wonders of my GPS satnav, driving around Melbourne has been an absolute breeze.

Indeed, Australia has only just started getting traffic information sent to compatible GPS devices over FM radio frequencies, something that has happened for years overseas.

It’s likely than any similar moves to ‘crime hotspot’ notification will take years to arrive in Australia too, something that really isn’t that necessary in Australia, despite Melbourne having a pretty rough criminal underworld, as recently exposed in a local television series called Underbelly.

The AFP quotes from a Honda statement that Honda’s new satnav will receive information from Japanese police as to which areas see cars “damaged, stolen or broken into in the past”, presumably letting drivers then decide if they’re interested in leaving their cars in known dangerous areas.

The AFP also notes that the system will “rate districts by level of risk.”

Ironically, the report states that auto theft is “less common” in Japan than in many other developed countries.

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