New Ford System Reads Road Signs, Helping Driver Avoid Speed Traps
By KYW tech editor Ian Bush
A new car offers relief from speeding tickets by paying attention to speed limit signs when the driver might not be.
It works a lot like cruise control.
"Intelligent speed limiter enables drivers to manually set a maximum vehicle speed," the announcer in a promotional video explains. But Ford's S-Max has a camera on the windshield that reads road signs and adjusts the car's speed accordingly.
"The system smoothly controls speed using engine torque by electronically adjusting the amount of fuel delivery, rather than applying the brakes," the video says.
Ford says the S-Max's GPS fills in the gaps on rural roads, where there are fewer speed limit signs.
"Drivers can temporarily override the system by pressing firmly on the accelerator."
So far the system in only available in Europe.
And for drivers who like to take liberties when it comes to the speed limit, the best thing about this new technology might be that you don't have to use it at all.
