Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones • Hacker News Board

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#81

Post by dsfyu404ed » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:45 PM UTC

reaperducer wrote: post #73

Doxterpepper wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "I've also noticed that when they notice movement in their peripheral, they start driving forward even when the light is red." This has been the case for years. When people aren't paying attention they are pavlovian in staring forward when they notice movement around them. But this doesn't necessarily have to coincide with cell phone usage, just bad driving.

So we shouldn't punish bad driving?

Because ~95% of the populace is bad for some definition of bad. We should really only be punishing exceptional badness.

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#82

Post by kazinator » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:48 PM UTC

SamReidHughes wrote: post #75

Doxterpepper wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They aren’t paying attention and when the light turns green they may either hit a pedestrian as they hurry to move... This sounds like a different issue that can arise without phones being involved. Just because you look at your phone does not mean you need to be sheepish when you look back up. The problem is people are more worried about getting going than being safe. > ...or not notice the green and be rear ended…

Assigning fault has nothing to do with safety.

In this case, the fault assignment correctly identifies as unsafe that driver who started moving and rammed a stopped vehicle immediately in front.

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#83

Post by mannanj » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:52 PM UTC

SamReidHughes wrote: post #75

Doxterpepper wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They aren’t paying attention and when the light turns green they may either hit a pedestrian as they hurry to move... This sounds like a different issue that can arise without phones being involved. Just because you look at your phone does not mean you need to be sheepish when you look back up. The problem is people are more worried about getting going than being safe. > ...or not notice the green and be rear ended…

Assigning fault has nothing to do with safety.

Isn't this entire thread about assigning blame to cell phones causing safety issues? Instead of looking objectively at all the various issues that cause safety issues while driving: distraction, day-dreaming, sleep loss (comparable to driving while drunk), etc etc

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#84

Post by farisjarrah » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:53 PM UTC

blacksmith_tb wrote: post #43

yjftsjthsd-h wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> you would need a very high resolution image with litle blur to determine that they were 'texting' Bigger reason: This amounts to "set up cameras that record exactly what's on the screen of every phone that goes by", which is an utter nightmare in terms of privacy.

Hmm, if you're in a jurisdiction where it's illegal to be using your phone, I'm not sure how upset we should be about the police invading your privacy to prove you're breaking the law? I suppose you could argue that such a camera would also potentially capture the screens of passengers, though.

Big difference between living in a jurisdiction where its outright illegal to use your phone and living in a jurisdiction where the act of driving while holding/using the phone is illegal, and they are two very different things. Many people live in a place where the latter is the case. Its fair to not want people to be distracted drivers while also wanting privacy. Is there no room for a middle ground?

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#85

Post by Sendotsh » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:58 PM UTC

y4mi wrote: post #3

So they're ramping up the detection of people using their phones while waiting for the traffic light to turn green? Doesn't really sound like this is actually about safety. I doubt these cameras can capture the photo do a decent quality on that angle for anything but standing or very slow moving cars But I guess we can hope it will stop some people, even if there will be a lot of people caught that weren't really end…

I lived in NSW (the state in the article) for a while, and had my car rammed into from behind 3 times in 2 years while I was stopped at a red light, all 3 times the drivers admitted they were checking their phone and hadn't noticed the light go red or me stop. They're not even shy about it, and the casualness at which people use their phones in cars is shocking.

I got front and rear dash cams after the 1st hit, to protect myself for insurance claims etc, and caught the following 2 + uncountable near-misses almost all of which were people using their phones, doing make-up, or at one point eating a bowl of cereal while driving.

People don't take it seriously at all, and having had a close family member killed by someone blowing a red light while playing on their phone, and my best mate killed by a truck driver mounting the footpath because he was checking his job computer, I'm 100% for stricter punishment against people who don't take driving seriously.

Mobile phones, drink driving, all of them can and do lead to people dying and should be treated as such.

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#86

Post by clairity » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:03 PM UTC

y4mi wrote: post #3

So they're ramping up the detection of people using their phones while waiting for the traffic light to turn green? Doesn't really sound like this is actually about safety. I doubt these cameras can capture the photo do a decent quality on that angle for anything but standing or very slow moving cars But I guess we can hope it will stop some people, even if there will be a lot of people caught that weren't really end…

i perused the article and saw nowhere that it said that this would only be used at red lights, which i'd oppose, since that's relatively safer (to look at a phone) than while actually driving (perfect shouldn't be the enemy of better).

apparently some cameras are fixed and some are mobile, but presumably they're checking cars that are both moving and stationary (if it so happens to be in view of the camera when/where it stops).

distracted driving is a real problem, and phones are a large part of that problem. genuine efforts at curbing distracted driving are welcome, as long as we don't have to trade away all our privacy in the process. i'm generally against camera surveillance for that reason.

in any case, continuing improvements in voice control will go a long way toward reducing distracted driving via mobile devices.

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#87

Post by WalterBright » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:05 PM UTC

yonaguska wrote: post #9

javagram wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People using their phones while waiting for the light is absolutely a safety issue. They aren’t paying attention and when the light turns green they may either hit a pedestrian as they hurry to move , or not notice the green and be rear ended by a driver who expects them to begin moving.

To second your point- I'd hazard that people using phones at lights are also using them in between lights. I filter at lights despite it being illegal where I live- because I've already been rear ended twice by people on phones. And by filtering I get a great view on people using their phones. They are nine times out of ten using their phones leading up to the light, during the light and during takeoff. I've also not…

In the last year I've begun pausing slightly before pulling into an intersection when the light just turned green. I don't care to be t-boned by someone failing to get through before it turned red.

I've also started glancing left & right going through the green even if it's been green a while.

Once the traffic in front of me stopped suddenly, I stopped, and the truck behind me didn't and totaled my car, nearly killing me. Since then I glance in the rearview mirror when I have to stop hard, which paid off one day when I figured the guy behind me wasn't going to stop in time, I pulled off onto the shoulder, and he hit the car in front of me.

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#88

Post by tenebrisalietum » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:08 PM UTC

The only technology needed to solve bad/dangerous driving is a cheap camera phone.

Allow people to turn in video of people violating traffic laws in public places for money. Receive more money if it leads to prosecution/fine.

Rewards split amongst all who submit videos.

Big bonus if person is DUI/OUI/OWI prosecuted.

If it's too much to have just anyone do this, then have some sort of minimal-requirements program where you sign up, pay $X, get registered and a permit, and do it.

This can help homeless people.

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#89

Post by Sendotsh » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:08 PM UTC

Good. People in Australia don't take driving seriously. I spend a lot of time on the road, and have lived all over Australia, and the one defining thing I've found in common all over the country is that people are WAY too casual about driving.

Sydney and Melbourne being the worst by far, with it being so bad it has become entertainment[0]

On any given commute you'll see dozens of people playing with their phone while doing 110km/h down the freeway, doing make-up, eating cereal out of bowl, reading, blowing red lights (not "late orange" but "it already went red and now the other direction who got a green have to hit the brakes to not get t-boned", ignoring lane lines, ignoring indicators, and/or ignoring the existence of any/every rule or nearby vehicle.

It's like a national sport. How much of a dickhead can you be in your car then get violently angry if anyone dares even tap their horn at you to remind you the light has been green for 30 seconds now and you're still flicking through Facebook.

[0]https://www.youtube.com/user/DashCamOwnersAustral

Re: Australia uses new technology to catch drivers on phones

#90

Post by cmroanirgo » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:09 PM UTC

jachee wrote: post #26

letmeinhere wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by "filter"?

I believe they mean riding a motorcycle in the gap between two lanes of traffic, thus "filtering" through the static traffic to the front.

The long name is "lane filtering".

I've seen an increase of motorcycle cops lane filtering at traffic lights, looking into the laps of the drivers. If there's a phone there, they're booked.