good motoring
Life-saving
devices
H. Kishie Singh

This device detects and displays objects while you reverse your car
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THERE was a
horrifying news item the other day. A man, while reversing his
car, ran over his son and killed him. Car design is such these
days that the boot lid is very high. It provides a lot of space
but restricts rear vision. To further make matters worse,
drivers do not make use of rear view mirrors. It is common to
see cars being driven around with rear mirrors closed. Outside
rear view mirrors (ORVMs) are an asset to safe driving.
In addition to
ORVMs, there is an after-sales accessory that can be of
tremendous help to drivers. These are reverse parking sensors.
Some of the expensive cars have them as standard fitments but
there are numerous models to choose from as after-sales
fitments. The least expensive model gives out a series of beeps
as you reverse, and warns you of an object behind that you may
not have seen. The beep interval gets shorter as the car closes
in on the object. A long uninterrupted beep means stop. You are
about to hit something.
Another model has
a voice command: ‘You have two metres to go. You have one
metre to go.’ These are invaluable aids in reversing. They
cost around Rs 2,000 each. The more expensive models which cost
around Rs 7,000 each provide an infra red camera fitted at the
rear. The LCD can be fitted on the sun visor, on the dashboard
or on the central console, or the rear view mirror.
The sensors at the
rear can be two, four or six. They can be stuck on or mounted on
the rear number plate by drilling holes in the bumper. A great
safety device. Car owners spend up to Rs 1 lakh on gadgets and
gizmos like music systems, DVD players and the like. How about a
life-saving device? It could be your own life. Give it a
thought. Another fitment in your car should be a vehicle black
box (VBB). Just like the black box of an aircraft, it records
every movement of the car. It prevents breaking into the car.
The car can be immobilised via SMS from your cell phone.
In Chandigarh
three vehicles are stolen everyday. Most are not recovered.
Micro Technologies are offering the micro VBB. A number of
sensors are installed in the car, and the vehicle owner can
command all via SMS. Locking and unlocking doors is possible.
You can track your car when it is on the move. You will know
where your driver or even your wife is at any time. This real
time tracking will locate your car in case it has been stolen.
And again, via SMS,
you can immobilise your car. Another very helpful function is
the replay and analysis of trip logs. This means a record of
your hours on the move, hours stationary and the top speed you
hit that day. At the moment the micro VBB is an accessory, but
as I see it, it could be a mandatory fitment in times to come.
The insurance companies should lobby for it, as should the
police. Car thefts could be a thing of the past. Insurance
companies won’t have to pay out huge sums of money in
compensation.
Even today if you
have an anti-theft device on your car, insurance companies give
you a 2 per cent rebate. With a VBB, this rebate could be
higher. It will be a very useful tool for the police. Locating a
stolen car would be easy. The top speed would be on record. No
use denying it. No use going to the court to argue with the
Judge and the police. In the larger interest of safe driving and
safety of your car, the VBB could be a very valuable fitment.
Happy motoring.
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