Onboard Computers and Sensors Could Stop the Next Car-Based Attack

 

Onboard Computers and Sensors Could Stop the Next Car-Based Attack

Much of the necessary technology already exists

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research.The Conversation

In the wake of car- and truck-based attacks around the world, most recently in New York City, cities are scrambling to protect busy pedestrian areas and popular events. It’s extremely difficult to prevent vehicles from being used as weapons, but technology can help.

Right now, cities are trying to determine where and how to place statues, spike strip nets and other barriers to protect crowds. Police departments are trying to gather better advance intelligence about potential threats, and training officers to respond—while regular people are seeking advice for surviving vehicle attacks.

Prease to read more here:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/onboard-computers...

and here:

https://theconversation.com/on-board-computers-and-sensors-c...

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Never argue with a pig. It makes you look foolish and it anoys the hell out of the pig!

Interesting Article

While computer control of vehicles can indeed be used to protect public safety, I fear it will be nearly impossible to program out all the pitfalls.

An incident happened near here recently where a woman foiled a carjacking by running over the armed assailant with her car. If her vehicle had been equipped with a pedestrian avoidance system, she might not have survived the attack.

A rare occurrence perhaps but no more so than terrorist vehicle attacks on pedestrians.

not that fast

The title asserts that these methods could stop "the next" attack. That is absurdly optimistic regarding timing.

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personal GPS user since 1992

Might work except...

this assumes ALL vehicles have it and no way to circumvent the safety features. Gonna be many years before this would ever happen if at all.

Exactly...

Frside007 wrote:

this assumes ALL vehicles have it and no way to circumvent the safety features. Gonna be many years before this would ever happen if at all.

...If there is a safety feature such as this implemented in cars in the future unfortunately there will always be a way for someone to hack it and "undo" this feature.