Ford has announced that they are trialling new a technology called 'geofencing', that could one day "do away with the need for speed signs completely".
"Geofencing technology creates a virtual area where vehicles slow down, rather than relying on drivers spotting signs that may be on unfamiliar routes, or overgrown," the car manufacturer said. We're not sure how we feel about robots being able to slow down our cars. Guess it will help us save on speeding tickets though.
Basically, when you drive in to a certain 'zone', your car will slow down by itself so it's safer for you and the people around you.
It works likes this:
the geofence zone and the speed limit are set up using GPS tracking and data exchange
the driver receives the new speed limit on their dashboard, below their current speed display
the vehicle then automatically reduces its speed
Ford does say that the driver can override the speed reduction if they feel like it, which kinda defeats the whole purpose, but hey.
Their main goal, it seems, is to get rid of unnecessary road signs across Europe, which they say distract drivers and make footpaths and streets look kind of ugly, as well as aiming to reduce the number of accidents on the road.
They also say that in the future the technology could mean users can set their own personal geofencing zones at 'depots and private facilities', where 'speed limits could be set dynamically' to account for any niggly spots on your street or wherever you decide to geofence.
