more on Automobile "Black Box" Data Usage

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Good Mary, but your fast forward to real time toll collection seems to 
be what Oregon has in mind right now. They intend to "experimentally" 
equip some cars to do that and thus reduce the gas taxes and replace 
them by milage taxes.  Lets see -- for a Hummer would I like a gas tax 
or a milage tax??

Dave

Begin forwarded message:

From: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw () gmail com>
Date: August 12, 2004 9:53:08 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Automobile "Black Box" Data Usage

My crystal ball says ...

It's 2010, government funds are increasingly tight, and there's
increasing public pressure to put law enforcement on "real" crime, not
chasing people misbehaving in automobiles. Moore's Law has continued
to operate on memory .....

"Today the state announces a major improvement in traffic enforcement,
reducing costs, increasing enforcement, and eliminating the physical
risks of traffic stops.  As of next Jan 1, traffic enforcement will
become part of the mandatory state vehicle inspection process. When
you bring your car in for inspection, we will collect the data from
your black box, correlate your positions and speeds over the previous
year, and add to the bill for inspection a consolidated ticket for
speeding, wrong-way travel, illegal left turns, and other traffic
infractions."

Fast forward to Jan 2, at the auto inspection station ...

"Yes, Mr Sixpack, the total is correct.  $35.00 for inspection,
$5,432.95 for traffic fines.  We have to hold you car until the bill
is paid."

Fast forward again to mid-spring ...

"We are pleased to announce a major improvement in the traffic
enforcement system.  We are responding to citizen complaints that all
the traffic enforcement fines hit them at once. So we are instituting
a real-time enforcement program based on network connection of the
cars' black boxes to Traffic Central. Traffic violations will be
billed within three days. The real-time option will be available
beginning Jan 1 for a nominal fee, and it will become mandatory as
network connections become required equipment on all cars over the
next three years.  At that time we will also be able to reduce taxes
because we will also introduce the all-toll highway system, with
automatic toll collection for all roads. These tolls will fund highway
repairs, thereby allowing tax reductions."

Mary

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