Warning … approaching intersection …

[rickaren]

Warning … approaching intersection …
Jun 17, 2008 Tags: Intelligent Safety
Global Mobile Alert expects its traffic intersection alert system to be a household name in the near future.


Global Mobile Alert is designed to use the GPS chip incorporated within the hardware of GPS-enabled navigation devices and mobile phones. The solution alerts a driver's attention to an approaching traffic intersection by emitting a distinct chirping sound to refocus the driver's attention back on the road.

The direct benefit - increased safety - is obvious, but spin-off benefits could include discounted insurance premiums typically offered to safe drivers.

Global Mobile Alert is not intrusive and can be customised by drivers.

Global Mobile Alert strategist, Randy Anderson, said: "One way to synergise responsible solutions is to establish alliances with other industries that have a vested interest, such as automobile insurance companies."

Deputy Chief Engineer Clark Robins from the City of Los Angeles has endorsed the technology, and recognises that the system can save lives.

Global Mobile Alert Corp was also nominated for Telematics Update's Best Portable Telematics Solution award this year, up against Microsoft and Clear Channel among others.

Company spokesperson Else Latinovic says that Global Mobile Alert's solution has a lot to offer automobile OEMs and wireless platforms alike: "The world is on the phone, and we must act."

In recent years, some local governments have enacted laws banning the use of cellular phones while driving. Other cities have slapped restrictions on their use, such as requiring drivers to use a hands-free device.

These laws have been highly publicised, and more municipalities are expected to enact similar laws.

These laws were thought to be the only way city governments could ensure public safety from unsafe drivers on cellular telephones. In other words, it is easier to ban the use of cellular phones while driving than to deal with the issue. In the near future, it's possible that cell-phone use while driving will be outlawed in the US.

This will this not go down well with a cell-phone-dependent population, and even the suggestion is enough to make the wireless industry shudder.

America's practice of protecting citizens is sometimes regarded as over the top. The US has regulations covering seemingly everything from gun control to the use of bicycle helmets. At some level of government, individuals are told what they can or can't do, and how they can do it or how not to do it. Under pressure from corporate political action committees, special interest and advocacy groups, legislators tend to do what comes naturally: legislate.

The more laws there are, the less freedom there is. Over-legislation - often directed at a small portion of society, creates restrictions for many. While government does have an obligation to protect its citizens, the passing of ineffective and/or unenforceable laws might not be the solution. Perhaps the time has come to suggest a need for balancing responsibility with what is effective without being burdensome.

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