Howzabout…

This is a fairly straightforward approach to improving our driving habits and fuel economy. In a similar fashion to the memory function that saves the preferred seat configuration of multiple drivers, this computer profile of the driver could be used to do some of the following:

• Regulate top speed to keep drivers from going faster than the posted limit and enhance overall safety
• Set a maximum acceleration rate to save wear and tear on the engine, increase fuel economy, and train young drivers to be less aggressive
• Save preferred settings like mirror position, radio stations, optimal temperature, even suspension stiffness and handling characteristics
• Disable the ability of a particular driver from starting the car between certain hours (sorry teenagers)

As the price of gas continues to hit new heights, it seems sensible that we should be paying greater attention to how our driving affects fuel economy. With computers an ever present component of late model automobiles, the mechanisms for capturing and analyzing data are already in place.

It would be no major challenge to move a complete statistical history of every mile driven from a car’s computer to a PC to learn about how we drive. Software could be configured to make suggestions of driving modifications that would help us to improve our safety and reduce our fuel consumption. Businesses could monitor the habits of their drivers and look to reward those with the best habits and as a training tool for those that require improvement.

Burning of headlights when the wiper blades are on, and the regular use of turn signals could be either automated or tracked for a broad increase in safety across the nation’s roadways if we’d only reconsider (and change) how dramatically underutilized computers are within the automotive industry at the moment.

At times we all drive faster than the posted speed limit, and often we are guilty of knowing that we are dong so. But there are also times when our speed just creeps up on us because we just get into a bit of a groove. Maybe there aren’t other cars around to pace ourselves, or we get geared up by a particularly upbeat song on the radio, or maybe we are so involved in telling a story to a passenger we simply don’t realize that we are breaking the law.

One day, in the not-too-distant future, I can imagine that GPS systems will have the ability to feed on-board computers with real time updates of the speed limit at our precise location, but in the meantime couldn’t we protect ourselves from tickets and unsafe driving if our cars had a self applied governor that we could set to cap our top speed? Or maybe the better solution would be to integrate a programmable chime or alarm of some sort to notify us when we are approaching an unsafe or especially illegal cruising speed.

I don’t think this would be particularly hard to pull of with late model cars. Of course the radio would need to be somehow temporarily disabled so you wouldn’t miss the warning, and perhaps there should visual warnings also, or a vibration could be sent through the seat or steering wheel. An additional feature could be a maximum speed read out that could be used to contest speeding tickets. This sort of system would be useful when applied to things like taxis, school buses, and the cars of young and inexperienced drivers.

A friend of mine told me a story he’d heard I thought was very interesting. And since it is related to the car industry I thought I’d share. It is an ingeniously simple strategy for avoiding the haggling that ordinarily is part of the car buying process.

1. Research the car and create a detailed description of everything you want, from the color down to the options.
2. Fax the wishlist to all area dealers that carry the make and model you want with a cover sheet explaining that the reseller which responds with the lowest quote by a certain time will win the sale.
3. Arrange to be preapproved and go pick up your new car.

The key, of course, is to only take proposals by fax so that the sales people don’t have the opportunity to do the voodoo that they do on you. (Say that fast three times!)

By the way, I’m guessing most people know this, but by having your financing arranged before going to the dealership, you’ll have the option to either use their bank or your own. In my experience, no dealership will be able to turn down a car loan opportunity no matter how low the rate they have to match because it’s still higher than zero.

Got a reply to the submission of my “Million Dollar” idea from Renault a few days ago. I guess this sort of response was entirely predictable, unavoidable even. Heck, it’s the reason that Howzabout.org came about in the first place, but I still find it vaguely disappointing.

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in Renault.

With regards to product offers, it is our policy only to examine proposals duly covered by a patent or a patent application on file, in order to protect your interests as well as our Company’s.

If you have not filed a patent application and you envision to engage in such proceedings, you may consult the internet site of the Patent Office in the country of your residence (e.g. www.inpi.fr in France).

Thank you for your visiting www.renault.com

The Renault.com Team
Vanessa Delettre
RENAULT
Corporate Communications

I saw a television show concerning Innovation and Corporations, and a gentleman referred to their relationship as being like teaching a dog to walk on its hind legs – it’ll get up and walk for a minute, but in the end it’ll be back to all fours ’cause that’s its nature.

I suppose that’s why most of the major advancements in most every industry come from outside of the professional circles. I really think there is tons of opportunity to change that dynamic. Don’t you?