Stopping motor vehicles

[squeaker]

Will it stop diesels?

Yes: due to emissions legislation anything vaguely recent has an ECU (engine management computer) and a slew of sensors. A far cry from mechanical fuel injection with a single electric stop valve

[thirdcrank]

It's important to remember that computers control all sorts in cars, including in some cases, even preventing excess speed. Afaik, there's some sort of EU policy to limit max speeds to 200KPH or around 155MPH in old money. (I've a feeling it may only be "voluntary" and followed by manufacturers because of the threat of compulsion.)

What a breach of civil liberties.

[gaz]

.

[MikewsMITH2]

This could never be deployed. With a range of 50m, unless it could be very tightly focused on a particular vehicle it would stop everything within that range. It could only be deployed from a stationary installation, as a vehicle carrying it would be also be knocked out. If it only has a range of 50m a speeding vehicle would just coast for a second or two and then accelerate away again. It is intended for military road blocks and that is just about all it could be used for. Interesting that is was demonstrated at 15mph

[thirdcrank]

This could never be deployed. ...

It's a brave person who says never. I remember being told by somebody who was supposed to be an expert on phones, and with a budget to match, that phones which allowed you to see the person you were talking to would never be possible, because there was simply too much data for the cable to handle.

This is just the manufacturer getting a bit of free publicity at the moment for a gimicky gadget, but there's no way of knowing how this may develop. IMO.

[MikewsMITH2]

I said this could never be deployed, not that devices to stop cars couldn't be deployed. The idea of automatic enforcement has been debated and is easily implemented. Speeds could be automatically limited by means of automatic speed limiters connected to GPS. Your average SatNav knows the speed limit of the road you are on anyway. Mine tells me to "watch my speed" if I venture over the speed limit. for too long It also tells me where fixed cameras are.

A digital radio receiver in the car could obey signals transmitted from police cars or variable speed limits from motorway gantries. This is not much more complicated than a radio controlled model. It would just require the government to require all new vehicles to be fitted with the receivers/GPS etc.
You can already get anti theft devices for your car which you can activate from your mobile phone to stop the car, but these are illegal in this country. My wife had a car alarm years ago that you could stop the car with, by pressing a red button on the key fob if you saw someone nicking your car. The installer had disabled it. It was simple enough to reconnect though. It was documented in the manual and I phoned the installer. He told me it wasn't legal in the UK and then told me how to enable it.

[MikeF]

I would have thought the car metal bodywork would have a considerable RF screening effect.

[MikeF]

"It's a small radar transmitter" Well yes if you compare it with the large rotating dish used say for aircraft navigation, but it's not exactly portable. It stopped the BBC's car travelling at 15mph. Put your foot down and you'll pass the beam in no time

[Mick F]

The modern RN ships are EMP proof ......... or as near as dammit. It took millions of quids to develop the system of electrically bonding everything and sheathing all the upper-deck cables into electrically bonded conduit. The ships are tested every now and again to prove it works.

It strikes me (sorry about the pun!) that all the crims need to do is devise a box to screen off the computerised control box.

[horizon]

It strikes me (sorry about the pun!) that all the crims need to do is devise a box to screen off the computerised control box.

Or ride bicycles.

[Geriatrix]

Can they do one for mobile phones?

It would have safety value on the roads and entertainment value on the train.

[AlaninWales]

Can they do one for mobile phones?

It would have safety value on the roads and entertainment value on the train.

This sort of thing?
http://www.jammer4uk.com/mini-portable- ... m79u636o05

[ScotchEgg]

Can they bugger about with my Shimano Di2? Oh no!