What you Need to Know about Developing Vehicle Speed Control Systems
Speeding is a growing problem in both rural and urban areas. The number of speed-related accidents remains high. Here is some insight into car speed limiting control systems and why more and more people are turning to them.
Drivers need to constantly estimate their speed and driving to determine a safe speed for the current road conditions, other vehicles, pedestrians, and any of a thousand other things that can happen at any moment. Choosing the best speed has become more difficult as cars have become quieter and smoother, and cruising speeds have increased. This has thrown driving safety into the limelight.
Most new safety features are factory installed, but older cars require aftermarket solutions and devices. There is a wide range of speed control devices, like top speed limiters, automatic speed limiters, on-board monitoring devices, and crash recorders. Limiting the top speed of your vehicle is usually done either through engine management systems or through a device that controls the throttle or the fuel injectors directly. Cruise control systems can also be classified as a kind of speed-limiting system for vehicles. They are handy to maintain a minimum speed but do not control the behavior of the driver since they simply maintain whatever speed the driver sets them to.
So what is needed in the modern traffic environment is an automatic vehicle speed control system that will effectively influence driving speeds, and encourage drivers to obey the speed limits, significantly increasing safety. The functionality of such a system would vary depending on the size of the vehicle (car or truck) and is based on controlling the vehicle speed using a microcontroller. The system features could include:
Real-time information about the vehicle location and speed (usually GPS-based)
Real-time information about existing speed limits and possible danger areas
Real-time, in-vehicle feedback on overspeeding
Remote control features
Anytime, anywhere access via smartphone or tablet
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WHAT COMPANIES MIGHT NEED TO DEVELOP A CAR SPEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
There are plenty of companies that enforce speed limits through intelligent transportation systems. They use these to keep their fleet safe, track assets, maintain surveillance, etc.
Car rental companies use speed management systems as a part of their car rental software to track their fleet of rented cars and tack on bills for dangerous driving. Drivers of rented vehicles may be given redeemable credits for the distance they traveled within a prescribed speed limit or be issued surcharges for distances traveled while speeding. Moreover, by getting real-time information about the condition of the car, the rental company is able to quickly respond to breakdowns and accidents.
Insurance companies increasingly use automotive car speed systems to monitor the driving of their customers, allowing them to reduce premiums and settlement costs.
Speed control devices are usually installed on cars the company insures and provides remote access to vehicle telemetry. By getting real-time driving data of vehicles and drivers (trip distances, driving time, and dangerous driving behavior), the insurance company can analyze and find out the actual risk level of its clients. The company can then tailor policies with discounts for low-risk, responsible clients.
Car dealers install speed limit control devices on the new cars they sell with installment plans to track how safely the car is being driven and its location.
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Even government authorities that deal with vehicle traffic control use car speed management technology in speed enforcement programs to reduce speeds and prevent accidents.
Though there are government regulations requiring the installation of speed governors for vehicles, survey data shows that in most European countries a large percentage of drivers still drive faster than the speed limit. Typically 40% to 60% of the drivers exceed the limit, and around 10 to 20% exceed the speed limit by more than 10 km/h. So a vehicle speed control system that warns the driver about current speed limits on the road would be very helpful.
The European Union actively promotes the Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) system which compares actual vehicle speeds with speed limits in particular locations. The European Commission web site states that ISA helps drivers comply with speed limits anywhere in the network.
The United Arab Emirates actively uses traffic monitoring, surveillance, and law enforcement systems in the everyday life of the country and has implemented in-vehicle traffic management systems to monitor for dangerous driving and respond to emergencies.
Lawmakers in Australia, have recommended that chronic speeders be required to fit their vehicles with monitoring devices to allow police to track their driving.
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WHAT IS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP A CAR SPEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
First of all, you need a device that can read the current car data that is available. Vehicles produced since the mid-1990s typically have a port to read car data and can be fitted with a device to connect to the car.
Car speed control devices that can read data from the car are usually plugged into the vehicle’s onboard diagnostic port (OBD-II port) located near the steering column.
Finally, you need special software to process the car data and warn the driver about potentially dangerous situations and speeding violations.
For example, Archer-soft’s portfolio includes a driving behavior monitoring and safety management solution for tracking vehicles and analyzing and improving driver performance. The key features of this solution are:
Real-time, in-vehicle feedback on aggressive driving and speeding
Real-time vehicle tracking Idling and speed management
Configurable dashboards and reports
Real-time alerts
Anytime, anywhere access via smartphone or tablet
IS A VEHICLE SPEED LIMITER SYSTEM USEFUL FOR ORDINARY DRIVERS?
Anyone who opts for a car speed control system will naturally adapt their driving behavior as they receive feedback about their driving. Many responsible drivers and those who want to improve their driving choose to use a system like this. It also helps reduce common mistakes made by inexperienced drivers who are not even aware that they are driving dangerously.
One possible speed management software feature could be a connection to social media. Drivers could share their safe driving achievements with friends via a connected smartphone or tablet. They could even start a safe-driving challenge to become the safest driver among their friends.
Speed limiting systems could be extremely useful for drivers of electric cars that are too quiet and smooth to feel the speed of the vehicle. Audible alarms and virtual engine sounds produced by the system would let the driver know they are speeding, improving the safety of these vehicles.
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And, of course, speed management systems are great for commercial passenger vehicles as there are sometimes different speed limits for passenger vehicles on certain highways and roads. Voice alerts and audible tips ensure that drivers obey the limits and deliver their passengers safely to their destinations.
We would be happy to provide you with a custom speed-limiting system that you can introduce to the marketplace for personal or commercial. It could be deployed either locally or online in the cloud.
Contact our team at learn@cprime.com for more information.
