- Ford wants to patent a system that would automatically report speeding vehicles to the police.
- Authorities would then decide whether or not to initiate a pursuit of the suspect vehicle.
- For now, the application is nothing more than that.
Security, closed circuit, and surveillance cameras are everywhere today and sometimes they capture crimes as they happen. If Ford gets one of its latest patents approved, the cameras on its future vehicles could prove to be a vital tool for authorities against speeders. Of course, there are countless questions about efficacy, ethics, privacy, and more associated with the idea.
The Patent and Trademark Office published the patent application on July 18 and the title pulls no punches. “Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations” is its name and it details how Ford envisions it working. The system would use onboard sensors on a future Ford to detect other vehicles breaking the speed limit.
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Should it detect a speeding vehicle, the system would turn on cameras to capture it. It would then send the image(s), GPS location data, and more to authorities, and the police would then determine whether or not to initiate a chase or pursue the suspect in any way. It’s worth saying that this is only a patent application, and even if granted, Ford may choose to do nothing with it.
In addition, this could be a patent Ford intends to use specifically for its own police fleet vehicles. Today, some companies already offer video monitoring with AI-driven recognition systems that ride along with officers or on delivery vehicles.
Regardless, the entire system calls into question just how safe, legal, or ethical this sort of technology is. As we sit here today, lots of questionable tech is already out there capturing your data, my data, and sometimes our likenesses.
Car buyers have found unauthorized GPS trackers in their cars. Hackers have obtained sensitive data about car owners. Insurance companies have jacked up premiums for drivers because of behaviors captured without their knowledge. Speed cameras, HOV cameras, and red light cameras are already handing out tickets too. Give it enough time and it seems as though every moment outside of one’s domicile will end up recorded.
