Australia tests anti-speed devices in response to auto deaths

William Atkins
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 18:45

Science - Health

In all such cases, the government takes over our responsibility (and enacts laws) because we are not responsible enough to do so ourselves.

Thus, it is our own fault that we have so many laws. We have no one to blame but ourselves. And, no doubt, more laws are on the way as the government attempts to control the bad behaviors of its citizens for the good of its country as a whole.

We repeatedly act in unsafe and unhealthy manners (whether on the consumer side or the manufacturing side), and our elected representatives see these bad actions and attempt to minimize, or even eliminate, them for the good of society.

Whether such actions are on the road, at work, or at home, laws are generally enacted to protect our safety and health. For law-abiding citizens, such laws should be seen as ways to better protect oneself from citizens who are not law-abiding. For example, when driving at or below the speed limit, the government is trying to protect you from those who do not obey that speed-control law.

Like it was said earlier, over 40,000 people are killed each year in the United States and about 2,000 in Australia each year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2006, 370 people were killed in NSW because of motor vehicle crashes. [New South Wales Government: “Motor vehicle crash deaths”]

Thus, these safety devices, along with others, will continue to be introduced on motorized vehicles in the future in an attempt to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities.

We, as drivers, can voluntarily drive according to our “rules of the road,” or the government can enact more laws and install more devices in our cars and trucks. We have the choice! Either way makes for safer driving.

For your information: Intelligent Speed Adapation (ISA) is the generic name for systems that sense a vehicle’s speed and is capable of using that information to provide feedback to the driver or to limit maximum speeds. Web sites discussing such anti-speed systems include: SpeedShield.com and SpeedAlert.com.