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Toyota Tackles Drunk Driving |
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Written by Andrew Olson - View Profile
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Wednesday, 03 January 2007 |
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Toyota has designed a new smart car that can detect a drunk driver. If you have seen the movie '40 Year Old Virgin', you are familiar with the American safety guard of keeping Drunk Drivers off the road. You also saw ways to get around it. Of course in reality, many repeat offenders have their liscences revoked, or are put on home arrest; making it very difficult to drive anywhere without a driver, including to work. But Toyota has designed a car that actually detects intoxication without a breathalizer.
The car can detect drunk drivers in three seperate ways. There are sweat censors in the steering wheel which can detect the saturation level of acohal through contact with the skin. The steering wheel also moniters abnormal turning, so if the driver is weaving the car will come to a gradual stop and shut off. Thirdly, a special camera can be used to moniter the driver's pupils are dilated or are not in focus.
Crazy huh? The question remains, is this a good idea? The cars will first be launched overseas before they get any kind of chance to be shipped and or produced in the U.S. But are we talking about greater government restrictions and infringement on personal rights, or the ambition to do something for the greater good?
Of course, the hardest question here, is what one's perception is of what the greater good is. Regardless, the Toyota product isn't really about stopping Drunk Drivers in the act, it is about DETERRING people from choosing to drink and drive in the first place. It is all about deterrence.
I have a system for deterring Drunk Driving, I would bet that it would work a lot better and much more efficently than sweat censored steering wheels. The next time a cop pulls over a Drunk, let him fire off a round between through the back fo the head; execution style. Don't allow the family to bury the body; allow it to sit on the side of the street. Don't bar the media from covering it, then state that all Police Departments across the nation have the right to exact this type of punishment at their digression. Grotesque? Sure. Would it hinder Drunk Driving? You bet. Of course, we would have to be talking about a totalitarian state; one where the government has an authoritative power. And that couldn't happen in the U.S. of A. No way right?
And the difference between the government controlling your ability to drive by installing cameras and sweat censors in your car, and planting a bullet in one person's brain? Aren't we talking about a violation of rights in both cases? Yes; but you say the difference is obvious; when you factor in the death of that one Drunk driver. But what is for the greater good? The restriction and regulation of personal rights of the Red White and Blue Big Brother impeding on your every day life, of thousands and thousands of Americans who are innocent until there car shuts down of driving drunk; or the one guilty fella who got shot and hence saved us from having cameras monitor our pupils focusing capabilities.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
--Drew | Only registered users can write comments.
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Ravings, rantings, and gibberish. (36)
writen by: Drew
What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew |
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| | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
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|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
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