USA Todayreports that Siemens AG is working on a new technology for cars that will read speed limit signs and report the speed. The car can also alert drivers when they are driving over the speed limit.
The system, expected to debut in as-yet-undisclosed cars in 2008, includes an onboard camera that reads speed limit signs. After it spots a sign, the system uses the car's navigation system to check whether the number it detected is plausible: Should the speed limit really be 55 in this urban zone?
Once the limit is established, the system can alert drivers in a display beamed onto the windshield that they're going too fast. Motorists also can let the system tap into the car's cruise control and automatically reduce the speed to the posted limit.
The system won't, however, automatically raise a car's speed to match a suddenly higher limit.
This may save some lead foot drivers from speeding tickets. It also eliminates the excuse that you didn't realize you were speeding -- an excuse police officers probably hear over and over again.
