Tirconnell
10-01-2007, 05:06 PM
We know motorists everywhere are going absolutely bonkers over their satellite-based navigation devices and services. And, judging by the recent successes of companies like Garmin, TomTom and others, it doesn't appear the technology will be taking a back seat anytime soon.
But would users feel so supportive if these companies started partnering with government agencies to inform them of GPS-enabled drivers' whereabouts, driving patterns and journey details?
Well, that already seems to be a reality for some drivers in the U.K. thanks to a company called Trafficmaster. According to local news reports, and the company's own website, Trafficmaster is in a million-dollar contract to provide Britain's Department for Transport "a combination of real road speed data, collected from our 50,000 intelligent vehicle probes,and journey time and traffic flow data collected through its fixed sensor network, positioned across major roads in the U.K."
The company's web site says that the arrangement is to help the government monitor and identify congestion hotspots and measure the impact of plans to improve traffic flow. Indeed.
Taking the technology one step further, such a system could be used to track every move a motorist makes. It could eventually manage a "road monitization system" where drivers are charged for travel according to which roads they use and at what time of day.
Think I'm nuts? How about when that looming four-year recession hits (the one that most financial analysts no longer deny) and states are facing never-before-seen budget crunches... Tolling roads will be at the top of a list of ways to ease the pressure. Shoot, public servants in Florida are already considering offering their roads to PRIVATE COMPANIES!
It'll never happen - I hear your keypads thumping away already. Maybe not. But did I mention Trafficmaster also has a partnership with Navteq which provides the company with "live floating vehicle data from our 65,000 U.S. customer vehicles, to generate live U.S. traffic information ... in our turn-by-turn in-vehicle GPS navigation service."?
You may love your navigation service so you can find where you're going. Big Brother loves it more so you can't get away.
But would users feel so supportive if these companies started partnering with government agencies to inform them of GPS-enabled drivers' whereabouts, driving patterns and journey details?
Well, that already seems to be a reality for some drivers in the U.K. thanks to a company called Trafficmaster. According to local news reports, and the company's own website, Trafficmaster is in a million-dollar contract to provide Britain's Department for Transport "a combination of real road speed data, collected from our 50,000 intelligent vehicle probes,and journey time and traffic flow data collected through its fixed sensor network, positioned across major roads in the U.K."
The company's web site says that the arrangement is to help the government monitor and identify congestion hotspots and measure the impact of plans to improve traffic flow. Indeed.
Taking the technology one step further, such a system could be used to track every move a motorist makes. It could eventually manage a "road monitization system" where drivers are charged for travel according to which roads they use and at what time of day.
Think I'm nuts? How about when that looming four-year recession hits (the one that most financial analysts no longer deny) and states are facing never-before-seen budget crunches... Tolling roads will be at the top of a list of ways to ease the pressure. Shoot, public servants in Florida are already considering offering their roads to PRIVATE COMPANIES!
It'll never happen - I hear your keypads thumping away already. Maybe not. But did I mention Trafficmaster also has a partnership with Navteq which provides the company with "live floating vehicle data from our 65,000 U.S. customer vehicles, to generate live U.S. traffic information ... in our turn-by-turn in-vehicle GPS navigation service."?
You may love your navigation service so you can find where you're going. Big Brother loves it more so you can't get away.