From Michael Paine, Beacon Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Paul Marks quite rightly points out the risk to drivers of too many on-board warning systems and the confusion from head-up displays (28 October, p 30). However, I have been trialling an Australian invention that uses GPS and a clever method of storing speed-zone information to alert drivers, with a simple beep, when they exceed the speed limit. It also announces school zones and speed camera locations.
I have found this an excellent driving aid. I do not need to look at a screen – I simply decrease my speed until the beep stops. If I do get confused about the current speed limit I glance at the screen. This is actually less of a distraction than looking around for roadside speed limit signs on unfamiliar roads.
Ten years ago I carried out research on this topic for the New South Wales government. I concluded that the absence of speed advisory systems is a glaring oversight: at least 40 per cent of serious accidents involve one vehicle exceeding the speed limit shortly before the collision.
The editor writes:
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Fair point, but adding more machines that go beep surely only adds to the problem. Imagine a lane departure alarm and a pedestrian detector beeping at the same time – this übercool GPS speed alarm would not only cause confusion, it would be swamped.
