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NSW trialling electronic speed limiter in cars

The New South Wales government will begin testing a new electronic speed limiter device on Wollongong roads next month which it says could one day become a standard feature on all cars.


Although its effectiveness is already being questioned as drivers will be able to override the system at the flick of a switch, which would render the device useless.

The device works by cutting power to the engine when the speed limit is exceeded, which is calculated by comparing the driver's speed with road data collected from satellites.

"It actually talks to the computer which manages the engine, and it tells that computer to limit the available fuel to the engine so that it will not exceed a certain speed, whatever speed limit you're in," Dr Soames Jobe said, director of the RTA's Centre for Road Safety.

According to Dr Jobe, this device will seemingly become the miracle solution for not only our road toll, but also the environment and even save the motorist money by avoiding speeding fines.

"We expect it's going to be cheaper to run the vehicle if you're not exceeding the speed limit, accelerating harder in urban traffic in order to get above the speed limit.

"So we expect there'll be savings for the environment ... as well as, most importantly for us, road safety improvements."

In a noble statement, New South Wales Roads Minister Michael Daley has pointed out that if this device is successful the Government stands to lose more than $80 million in revenue collected from speeding fines, but says that is not a concern.

The fact that a program such as this has progressed so far at the expense of tax payer dollars is an insult, only serving to reinforce the notion that 'every kay over is a killer', which just simply isn't the case.

So long as our decision makers continue to pursue this mentality in improving road safety, motorists continue to become victims as advanced driver training, road quality and modern speed limits are ignored.

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