Putting STOP signs on the Google Map
Can we put up traffic signs on something like Google maps using a suitable app to display them to drivers of vehicles at the appropriate time? You might wish to experiment, starting with
The
other day my wife and I saw a distressing scene at a street corner; three girls
who were sharing a scooter had been in a traffic accident. A car running along
an intersecting street had hit them and one girl had a bleeding injury on her
face. There was crowd around them offering help. The car involved was there on
the side of the street and a young man who seemed to be the one who had driven
that car was involved in helping the unhappy girls.
It
is often pointed out that traffic is chaotic in India. Part of this is due to
the absence of any enforcement of traffic discipline. Part of this due to the
absence of essential traffic signs such as a STOP sign to show that traffic on
the intersecting street have the right of way. Millions of vehicles rush
through intersections free of any discipline. Any aggressive driver gets his
way, till the day he crosses the path of an even more aggressive one!
Many
drivers have a navigational aid mounted on their dashboard or windshield. The
map app will use stored data to identify when your vehicle is reaching an
intersection and if you have the right of way there. If not, it would flash a
stop sign. You would bring your vehicle to a complete stop for a moment and
then cross the intersection carefully. The app could warn of speed breakers,
prohibited turns, one way streets, your exceeding the speed limit etc.
Do
virtual street signs absolve the local government of their responsibility to
display real-world signs? No, all they can do is to increase your chances of
being alive as and when they fulfil their responsibilities!
Joking
apart, there is a necessity for the government to get involved. They should
participate in any project in this area to put relevant information on maps.
They should ensure that there is a standard for encoding this information. The
basic information should be made available in the public domain. What about the
app developer? Why should he spend a lot of effort to build this national infrastructure?
Well, we will give him the rights to display "paying" signs in
addition to traffic signs - like the following:
What
about liabilities of the app developer? That is no problem; they will show you
a link named Terms and Conditions. As usual, you would ignore it and click on
"I accept". The 5000-word T & C would include a line absolving
the app developer of all and any responsibilities! (Warning! It may not be as
simple as that! But you can worry about it when you have a prototype to show
the lawyer!)
Lastly,
what are the limits to this technology? Will one day even traffic signals will
be run off cyber space? Data from users of navigation devices gives statistical
information to servers as to how many vehicles cross which intersections and in
which direction. Can one use such data from these servers to drive real-world
traffic signals in a highly adaptive manner?
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