Also see: Computer Chips in Car Keys for Kids
Talk about BREAKING DOWN the FAMILY UNIT of TRUST!!!
"In-car cameras vex teens, please parents" by Matt Zapotosky, Washington Post | November 2, 2008
WASHINGTON - Ken Richardson does not have to ride in his 17-year-old daughter's Ford Escort to know when she takes a turn too fast.
The camera system installed in her car will e-mail him about it.
"She's at that age where she's a little rebellious," said Richardson, 54, of Lusby, Md. "And I'm at the age where I'm not going to take any crap."
So what's next, hitting her?
The Richardsons are among more than 100 families in Southern Maryland enrolled in a state-sponsored study to install camera systems that record the moments before and after an unusual driving maneuver, such as sudden braking or a too-sharp turn. State officials say the cameras could decrease the number of teen drivers killed in crashes.
Some of the teenagers have other thoughts on the matter. "I feel like I'm being babysat, like I'm being watched constantly," said Stacie Richardson, Ken Richardson's daughter. "It drives me nuts." The cameras are among the latest tools in the struggle to reduce teen car crashes.
Yeah, TYRANNY is ALWAYS for your OWN GOOD!
Look, I don't want kids dying in car wrecks any more than anyone else; however, that is NOT what this is about!!!! This is about the TOTAL SURVEILLANCE SOCIETY!
Such accidents are often caused not by alcohol or overt recklessness but by simple driver inexperience. The problem has persisted despite efforts by lawmakers to restrict teen driving privileges.
Translation: The "restrictions" DO NOT WORK!!!
"The single most dangerous thing we let our children do is drive a car," said Daniel McGehee, director of the human factors and vehicle safety research program at the University of Iowa. "It's frustrating for those of us who study crashes in general."
I disagree: the most dangerous thing we "let" them do is SEND THEM TO WAR on LIES!!!!!!!
Until recently, the in-car monitoring systems being installed in Southern Maryland were used primarily by commercial companies interesting in monitoring their drivers. In the battle against driver inexperience, they are joined by other devices that keep a detailed log of a driver's speed or use GPS technology to track the driver's position, said Bill Carpenter, an executive with DriveCam, the San Diego company that makes the cameras.
Yeah, it is ALSO ABOUT the $$$$ to be made from TOTALITARIAN TYRANNY!!!!
The camera, mounted on the windshield, captures footage of what is happening outside as well as in the vehicle. It saves about 20 seconds of that footage only when its sensors are triggered by excessive G-forces. Those forces tend to accompany unusual driving maneuvers such as sudden braking or swerving.
No more making out in the parked car! What a RIP-OFF!!!!!
Saved footage is transmitted back to DriveCam via a cellular network. DriveCam experts review the videos, add tips for the young drivers and post them to a website where parents can see them a day or so later. Parents receive an e-mail alert when the videos are posted.
The camera can capture anything going on in the car, but the company uploads only footage that involves unsafe driving. "If an event is captured that is embarrassing to the teen . . . then we're not going to return it to the family," Carpenter said.
That's what you say now, fascista!!
The cameras in Southern Maryland typically cost $900 for the hardware, installation, and a year of service, Carpenter said. After the first year, the service costs $30 a month, he said.
Cha-CHING!!!
Carpenter has grandiose visions for the future of DriveCam. What if it came down in price, and all insurance companies provided discounts for parents who installed it?
Ken Richardson would also like to see DriveCam expand its reach. "The last thing I want is to get a call in the middle of the night or a knock on the door," he said. "This is one of those issues where I have total control. If you want to drive, you're going to have a camera in your car." --more--"
Can you see THIS, Dad?
