WHEEL OF SPEEDING: Constant exhortations to reduce our speed on the roads just don't seem to do the job, but we'll slow down to win money. Speed cameras photograph motorists and send fines to those who exceed the limit. But anyone obeying the law is entered in a lottery to win the fines. In a test in Stockholm average speeds dropped by 20%. That's a more positive spin on that creepy TV ad about, uh, something
we do wrong on the roads. Details on Facebook and video on YouTube.
DISCOUNT DRIVERS: Some New York drivers are taking part in a Snapshot programme. Their insurance company issues a small device that plugs into the car's on-board diagnostic port. For 6 months the device tracks when and how the user drives, and behaviours such as sudden stops. With no GPS, the device monitors only behaviour and not location. Safe and careful drivers receive discounts of up to 30%. Or perhaps 100% if the car was only driven to church on Sundays? More at Progressive.
DREAMING DRIVERS: The 'Road Train' concept has a lead vehicle, driven by a professional such as a bus or truck driver, electronically tethered to several following vehicles. The lead vehicle controls the following vehicles whose drivers read books, watch DVDs or daydream while they travel. When they need to go their own way they take back control of their vehicle and pull out of the convoy. This idea could increase aerodynamic efficiency, while reducing fuel use and congestion. And possibly road rage. More at Wired and video on YouTube.
BLOOD BUDDY: Battery-operated, remote-controlled mannequins that bleed and breathe are helping US military medics train for duty on the battlefield. The latest mannequins are anatomically correct and have life-like skin so medics can practice stopping bleeding and inserting intravenous drips. A Pentagon study claims 1,000 lives have been saved so far by the training program. They could be useful for training people not to drive drunk too. More at CNN.
AT THE EDGE OF BEYOND: The Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched in 1977 and later visited Jupiter and Saturn. Now 17 billion Km from the sun, the craft is travelling at 60,000 kph and is about to leave the solar system behind for vast interstellar space. Going where no one has gone before: so enterprising. More at DiscoverMagazine.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
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