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The car that slows down for speed cameras


Would you buy a car that automatically slows down for fixed speed cameras?

That’s what you can get in South Korea with the new Hyundai Genesis's 'Speed Trap Auto Deceleration', which we sampled last week.

Numerous other satellite navigation systems already warn drivers of fixed speed camera locations but Hyundai has taken this to a new level, with its system capable of bringing the vehicle’s speed below the speed camera limit.

We tested this system in Seoul last week by having the active cruise control set to 150km/h and allowing the car’s computers to take full control of the Genesis’ speed.

The onboard computers used GPS data to gradually slow the car down to match the 100km/h speed camera zone from around 800m before the speed camera’s location, only to resume the set speed once the camera was passed.

If the cruise control was disabled, the car would make audible warnings as we neared speed cameras and if the Genesis was over the set limit. It would also actively bring up the car’s current true speed (not based on the speedometer, but rather the GPS data, which is generally more accurate), which would be highlighted as an obvious warning.

Given there are basically no mobile speed cameras in South Korea, the new-age navigation system can all-but eliminate speed camera tickets (as well as revenue) and if the cameras are actually placed in black-spots, where accidents are more likely, it would no doubt also reduce accidents.

Perhaps, however, the most interesting aspect of the new Genesis speed-busting system was its ability to combat average speed cameras.

Using the same GPS system, the Genesis would begin measuring the time and distance after the vehicle passed the initial average speed camera, displaying the average speed and what the driver needs to do to avoid a ticket based on how many kilometres were left to the checkpoint.

Though some may argue that the two systems would encourage speeding, logically that may not be the case.

If speed cameras are actually located in black-spots, the car’s ability to slow itself down should help reduce the number of accidents and allow the driver to concentrate on driving rather than focusing so thoroughly on the vehicle’s speed.

Australia’s relatively low tolerance to speed cameras would see customers jump at the opportunity to have this system locally, nonetheless Hyundai Australia has confirmed that it most likely will not be available when the Genesis launches in November.

Even so, with the technology now available in other markets, it’s only a matter of time before the system finds itself in other vehicles and eventually in Australian showrooms.

The evolution of this system would see a SUNA traffic alert-like system that informs your car of live locations of mobile speed cameras, which would then provide a near bulletproof method for avoiding tickets.

If the point of speed cameras is to slow drivers down, state governments should be in favour of these systems coming online. Though, we suspect, the reality will be quiet different.

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