smeggy wrote:
BigBen wrote:
It includes odour sensors that monitor breath, detectors which analyse perspiration of the palms, and a camera that checks alertness by eye scan.
If the system thinks a driver has drunk too much, the car will not start.
- Eye scan: how do they do that? It can’t be by blink rate otherwise you could be waiting ages for the system to take the necessary measurement.
Bristol Uni/Manchester Metro Uni were pioneering some similar gadget in 2003.
We all blink hundreds and hundreds of times each minute. I'll have to look up where I read that - though am sure the Mad Cats will have the data
you know what they are like As I recall - this gadget had to monitor and register your "normal functions" before it could differentiate your "abnormal blinking functions" .
The original doo-dah was supposed to "warn of fatigue/nod off".
But to determine if a drunk blinks more than a sober person?
I'd like to see the "peer reviewed stats/research" on that one. If it detects glazed eyes finding it hard to focus or seeing double - fair enough. But I would like to know more about how it works as to be sure of its effectiveness in this.
Believe me - nothing I'd like more than something to stop a person driving whilst intoxicated or worse - not realising they are affected by their "one tipple for the road" here.
But I do wonder and despair at the blind faith in technology when the simple answer is not to drink one drink when intending to take the roads.
Normal grape juice in its natural state is a very pleasant drink after all.
(From a bloke who does enjoy a fine wine with a meal but who would not ever consider driving after a fine meal with a glass of a fine wine until sure the efffects of the drink are expleted from my body
. But yes - I drink ordinary pure good quality grape juice if I am thinking about driving.. or elderflower presse/cordial or "Ame" as decent alternatives if at a social and needing to drive my car. It's all about common sense and being a grown up
Quote:
- Perspiration: what if it is a hot day or the driver has been exercising?
I have the most problems over this one. I have shaken hands with umpteen official people in the past on official business. Some have normal dry hands and some have "limp and clammy". This latter does not make me think lesser of the person by the way
I know we are all different and some of us suffer from sweat or nerves even more than others. OK- admittedly have hda the benefit of training. We are trained in body language - or rather we used to be in the good old days when I first entered this profession. These days - we have so many other commitments and differentiated focusses within the training progress from initial 15 weeks to throughtou the two year probationary period that I do fear some basics do get overlooked. I have to post this to be fair to our young cops who get so much bad press. It's not the fault of our recruitment process nor our training processes as such - but more the varied demands and to be blunt - we cannot realistically achieve all that makes a good cop in that time. I do hope we leaqve enough room and scope for professional development within the career development modes available - but I still wonder if we are missing out basic essentials per the feed back I glean from the public via this site and other media.
I re-iterate - no self respecting cop would want to be a government puppet. This is a PROFESSION which requires purely professional judgement/and some discretionary common sense too.
I know from lurks and posts I make occasionally on police fora (for
only
) that majority think likewise as all of us want to do the best we can for our public whome we respect here.
Oh sure - we have to enforce laws per the statutes. We hope to do so with common sense and we also hope the courts apply the same common sense. Only - as you know - we end up with laughably ridiculous sentences for the seriously dangerous out there and rough justice for some others - usually the blippers or normally folk from every walk of life - who err without malice intended
A lot of normal folk do break out into sweat in fear of outcome when pulled for some minor offence. Most of us see this as a normal "shock with fear of fines or conviction" on their part. We do not see this as "inebriated criminal" and a breath test usually gives us a clue here
to be blunt
I think we find more and more that keeping things calm and not demeaning or humiliating any one person suspected of any offence whatever it be - serves justice for the better and helps our relations with our public.
I am what you might call "old school"
Am in early 50s (gulp) but I do not feel old and have many more miles on my clock. I decided (rather pesuaded by guv
) against retiring once I clocked up my years to draw my pension
Truthy is I love what I do for my living.
Guvs also think I have much more to contribute too, even though I could make a very lucrative living ofAdvanced Driving Courses/ COAST speeches and even write a book perhaps to add to Steve haley's very excellent work which is now complimented by Al Shurmer - whom I happen to know
and can vouchsafe that he knows what he's on about
I can trace
ancestry down to when the first Jack the Ripper murdered his victims.
My eldest son studied law but has applied to become a BiB
My eldest daughter is also now thinking of a career with the FORCE
Quote:
- Breath sensor: could the system be fooled by the proximity of drunk passengers?
to you.
Now that's a valid point too. I admit I never thought of that one
I think I once posted up in the early days of this message board about an Ameriecan system. It required the drnk to blow into a machine every half hour or so. It caused accidents as some were in traffic conditions which warranted full attention. But engine cut out and a collision occurred in one case. In another - a collision occurrred when the person was required to produce a breath specimen
The logic? Well an alcoholic has been known to swig his booze whilst driving
This is true as when a young BiB with the MET - I pulled one such driver who had been quaffing neat gin whilst driving his car
As I recall - he had the statutory ban and a fine of £1000 payable in instalments.
So - if the drinker imbibes whilst driving - would this car cut out then in a potentially lethal situation?
It's not that I am dismissing the idea out of hand as I welcome any positively helpful solution which would make life easier for us overall.
But I think we have to take a serious look at potential flaws here with a view to tweeking so as to deliver the goods as intended
Good useful technology requires this. Society requires sound justice and sound technology in any case with a reservatiion to keep human common sense and responsibility.
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