TILTS: Friendly texts to other drivers on the road
I was driving behind a car today that had its tail light out. After following this car for several miles, I started getting the itch to notify the driver of the car of the problem. But I couldn't overcome the obstacles preventing me from doing this. For starters, I was behind the car on a single lane road. And even if I could get the driver's attention, there's no universal hand signal for "hey, your passenger side tail light is out."
So being a techie, I started to look for a technology solution. Here's what I came up with. What if I could enter the license plate number and state of the car in front of me as a text message and have my message automatically forwarded to the owner's mobile phone?
Problem solved... right?
Well, admittedly this is probably the most error-ridden idea I have come up with. I'm sure many of you already realized that I'd have to be texting while driving to accomplish this and thus my chances of crashing my own car are better than the driver in front of me getting his tail light fixed.
Beyond that, there would be major privacy issues linking people's license plate number to their mobile phone number. Not to mention you'd be exposing your own mobile phone number just by sending a message.
And finally, I'm not ignorant to the fact that if this technology did exist, the last thing people would want to tell the driver in front of them is that their tail light is out. I'm pretty sure the messages would be much, much more colorful.
But how many really great ideas started out with a really bad idea that evolved? So I'm doing my part. Give me a (safe) technology to communicate with the other cars around me.
Disclaimer: Technologies presented in the Technology I'd Like To See (TILTS) series are based on my original (and sometimes delirious) thoughts. I present them here to the public only because I can not afford to implement any of them myself. If you steal borrow one of my ideas and end up filthy rich because of it, please remember where you got the idea and throw a little love my way. Something like a BMW or a big fat check would do just fine.
5 comments for this blog post so far...
January 25, 2011 at 9:00 am
LauraL
I have often wished I had a simple set of black and white laminated signs that read, “HEADLIGHTS”, NO TAIL LIGHTS”, and “NO BRAKE LIGHTS”. Of course that still necessitates getting by the driver, but still…
January 25, 2011 at 9:08 am
Lori
The only thing I’d want to text is “the gas is on the right!” Sorry, this is just a horrible idea! My text would be the tamest one anyone would send and even I would want to write a lot worst sometimes!!
I think your heart is in the right place but don’t 75% of the cars on the road today have little idiot lights on their dashboards indicating a lamp out? So I think they know, they just havne’t gotten it fixed yet.....
January 25, 2011 at 9:47 am
Penemuel
When I was younger, there were car phones for a little while (but I never had one). I used to think that you could use those to dial the license plate of any other car on the road to contact them and tell them that kind of thing (especially ‘turn on your headlights, you’re a grey car in twilight and no one can see you!’).
I’ve wished for the same kind of thing, but totally agree with you on the drawbacks. I’ve also wished for a very bright flashlight I can shine back in the eyes of SUV drivers who have their d*mned halogens right at side-mirror level, and a way to fly over traffic that’s in the way, but for some reason we STILL don’t have those flying cars we were promised… ;-)
January 25, 2011 at 9:51 am
Patric Welch
Penemuel, your comment cracks me up. Reminds me of a Simpsons episode I saw a long time ago when Homer gets in a special club and these secret traffic-free expressways appear for club members only. And instead of calling 9-1-1 he gets to call 9-1-2. Ha!
January 26, 2011 at 12:27 am
Meredith Peters
write a note and hang it on your passenger side window as you pass them with a frienly honk. You may still expect the bird in return.
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