Have you heard about this? ...?

Question

I remember someone telling me about the possibility of the government making all cars have a "chip" in them so they know if you have been speeding as it will take all the data on what road you have been on and what speed you were doing. Has anyone else heard about this, if you have could you give me any more details/web pages etc
thank you x

Answer 1

After a search, I found that there are black boxes in your car if it is equipped with air bags. I have quoted the following article, which is found at the first source URL below. The second source URL is an even more technical explanation of how the system works. Most of the rest of the stuff I could find were rants against "big brother". I suspect that the data from the Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) could certainly be used by law enforcement (and has been successfully in a number of cases), but I could not find an overall usage pattern. Looks like a case-by-case basis right now. According to the second URL, which lists the cars with EDRs, they are pretty much all General Motors, starting in 1998 model year and continuing to the present. So here you go...

"For many years "Black Boxes" were synonymous with airplane crashes. The acquired (downloaded) data from these boxes were an invaluable tool for accident investigative engineers.

In the early 70's, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made several recommendations that the automobile manufacturers (OEM) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gather data on crashes using onboard sensing and recorders. As a direct result certain air bag equipped vehicles had recorders incorporated within.
Electronic sensors are gaining wide use in today's vehicles, which are primarily driven by the automobile industry's move towards electronically controlled systems. Through various methods (algorithms), these systems gather information (data) about the vehicle. Onboard computers (Electronic Control Module / OBD I / II) allowed the technician to check the operation of the engines and other vital components.

As the design of supplement restrain system (SRS - air bags), anti-lock brakes (ABS) and stability control systems, additional sensors and processors were needed. These new ECM's were capable of storing data, which includes resultants of fault errors. Henceforth, the "Black Box" was born.

All vehicles that are equipped with airbag(s) have three (3) basic components. They are as follows:

The Bag is constructed of a woven material similar to nylon, which is folded like a parachute. They are coated with talc like powder that lubricates the air bag material for storage.

The Inflation System is similar to a solid rocket booster. This solid material ignites which burns extremely hot and rapidly to create gas. This action inflates the nitrogen gas (pulsed) via a chemical reaction of sodium azide (NaN3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3).

The Sensor is an electrical and/or mechanical device, which triggers a firing squib that activates the inflation systems and deploys the airbag(s).

The on-board computer's (ECM / OBD I / II) data is stored in two types of categories. They are as follows:

Non-Deployment Incident is an event that is severe enough to gather information from the sensors but NOT severe enough to deploy the air bag(s).

Deployment Incident is an event that is severe enough to gather information from the sensors and to deploy the air bag(s).

In both types of incidents the vehicle's processor (RAM) stores in memory, pre and post crash data.

The "Black Box" can record informational data, such as: engine / vehicle speed (5 seconds before impact), brake status (5 seconds before impact), throttle position(s), and even the state of the driver's seat belt switch (on/off). The combination of this information along with other engineering factors will indeed revolutionize the field of motor vehicle accident investigation."

I understand it is a little technical in nature, but there is in fact a "black box," as we have come to understand the "black box," in your car. I hope that this answers your question and that you have a great day.

Answer 2

This is not an urban legend and is in fact based on hard facts. Currently the government receive revenue from the drivers of vehicles via fuel duty and road fund licence fees, in the not to distant future the introduction of pay per mile will be with us. For this system to work all UK vehicles will have to be fitted with a full gps tracking system.
This system will allow the charges for road use to be calculated. The government say that this is as far as it will go, however the gps system will allow the government to monitor the speed of the car on a given road.
I can see the campaign starting along the lines of "If you don't speed then there is no need to worry" Also as the system will be able to plot a time and distance track lets say there was a murder in a council estate and the murderer escaped in a car, it would be very easy to record all the vehicle movements at the time of the murder.
Big Brother is going to be taking an even closer look at you very very soon.

Answer 3

Virtually all GPS units I have seen measure speed and display it on screen. Whenever there is a code set in a computer, there is a "freeze frame" of data recorded. The manufacture determines what is recorded, but I have seen them with speed, gear, stop light switch, accelerator position, engine speed, etc, etc. It would be an amazingly easy thing to record that data in the split second of an accident,or even on an interval basis.

Not very long ago at all I read an article in the paper where a rental car company had attempted to fine a patron becuse their GPS unit had recorded that the car had been speeding. It was not cited by the police, just the rental car company.

The patron's petition was upheld in court, and the rental company couldn't collect. But the technology is here.


Yeah, I can believe it!

Answer 4

I don't think this is too far from the truth. I believe some Aston Martins, or maybe Bentleys, were fitted with such devices in the 80s. It had a mobile phone link to the home base so that when the car 'failed to proceed' it phoned the factory computer which tried to remotely fix the problem, if that wasn't possible it sent the details of the car's location to the nearest dealer for them to go out and fix the problem.

Answer 5

Look at it this way:

I used to be a truck driver. I have actually stood next to a workshop technician and watched him down load the data from my truck's on-board computer, onto a laptop.

I then got a print-out, showing the maximum speed the vehicle had travelled, how much time was spent in each gear, the rev range in each gear, how much time the cruise control was on, the average acceleration and braking curves, etc, etc. since the last service

It's not a myth - it is here. Now.

Answer 6

Toyota `s been able to do most of this for over 10 years, except know where you are. no gps unit`s . They did this to monitor the conditions the vehicles were operated under. Most of this was to track warranty repairs to driving habits. Just look at OnStar. In case of an accident they can probably tell the cops what happened. What street you were on / how fast you were going/ and what direction. They probably even know what pub you were at for the last 2 hrs.

Answer 7

I don't think the government is going to ever tell us whats REALLY in the computers of cars. the automobile manufactures were going to add "or have added" a part to your computer which would record your speed and exactly when you applied the brakes this would in able accident investigators to access this data and determine if you were speeding and the exact moment you hit the brakes before a crash. I personally believe they can monitor where your vehicle has been and where you are going. most cars have computers the size of small laptops in them just to monitor engine function? I don't think so that's a lot of wasted space that could be harboring a lot of other electronics. Just call me paranoid.

Answer 8

Yes, today I heard the sound of sleigh bells being jingled at the Salvation Army kettle at the entrance to work. The sound of many people buying up all variety of food for their Christmas feasts! And Christmas songs floating out of the store stereo speakers. And so many customers saying or replying with Merry Christmases to me and mine! Merry Christmas Dizz dear and all my splendiferous Contacts on Y!A !!! oxoxox :)

Answer 9

yes you are right they were talking about a chip that could be read by readers at the side of the road as you went past they were suggesting that they would be used to toll the roads

Answer 10

on star can do it now ...soon the laws will be in place to enforce it...
anyone that thinks it won't happen is foolish enough to believe Al Gore