- MELBOURNE, Australia -- At
the Melbourne Motor Show last week, Toyota unveiled a controversial concept
car that would very closely monitor, and in some cases restrict, the actions
of its driver -- including refusing to turn on.
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- To drive the sleek Toyota Sportivo, a driver would have
to enter a memory card into its console to turn on the engine. Based on
the driver's experience and driving record, the car adjusts its engine
performance, cutting back for motorists with less experience or spotty
driving records.
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- "Drivers of the future who have grown up in an electronic
age of heavy remote speed camera enforcement measures and electronic tollway
charging systems are accepting of new technology that assists their lifestyle
as well as monitoring it," a Toyota press release about the car says.
"It is essential for drivers to be fully and accurately informed in
this era of increasing electronic surveillance."
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- While some say a car that would second-guess its drivers'
abilities might have limited appeal, Toyota says the purpose of the electronic
logging and authentication isn't to snoop, but to inform.
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- "What we're suggesting is the driver's license in
the future will be a smartcard, and it's embedded with all the data required
to operate the car more safely and efficiently," Toyota project manager
Paul Beranger said.
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- Toyota said it doesn't have plans to put the concept
car on the road. The carmaker built the prototype to highlight Australia's
local car-designing talent. But the vehicle does introduce some concepts
that would shake up governments and vehicle bureaucracies.
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- With the Sportivo, there wouldn't be separate numbers
for the license plate on the car and the license in a driver's wallet.
Instead, a screen on the car's rear bumper would display a number linked
to the driver's license, which would be encoded on the smartcard.
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- One advantage would be that the actions of drivers would
be tied exclusively to their licenses, not the car. Since at any given
moment many drivers on the road don't own the cars they're driving (because
they either rented or borrowed the vehicle), the electronic logging would
allow motor vehicle departments to charge the driver for speeding violations,
parking tickets and unpaid toll charges -- not the owner.
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- "It's ultimately not the owner who's responsible
for the car when it's on the road, it's the driver," Beranger said.
"If the car is caught for speeding, the ticket goes to the driver,
not the owner."
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- The driver-based record keeping could also change laws
for young motorists. In Australia, new drivers are automatically placed
on probation for three years when they get their license. Because of the
new logging capabilities introduced in the Sportivo, the probationary period
could be based on the number of hours behind the wheel, much like the way
airplane pilots are licensed.
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- The power output of the engine can be restricted according
to the license grade, and drivers whose licenses have been suspended would
be unable to operate the car at all.
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- In addition, at least one Australian state is considering
requiring vehicles to have alcohol breath analyzers tied to an engine lock.
And Australia's federal government has considered a universal ID, called
the Australia Card. The proposed card would store a wide array of personal
information, and Australians would have to carry it at all times to obtain
employment, health care and government services.
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- While the Australian senate twice turned down the proposal
and public outcry killed the idea, privacy organizations say the smartcards
needed to operate future cars look suspiciously like the universal IDs.
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- "We have a problem with the smartcard licenses because
they will not stop with just dealing with speedsters," said Irene
Graham, executive director of civil liberties organization Electronic Frontiers
Australia. "They're proposing that the new licenses will be used over
the Internet to identify people when dealing with government departments.
We are concerned that businesses will come up with all sorts of reasons
for identifying yourself."
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- While Toyota views its concept car as nothing more than
a showcase for cool gizmos, its electronic logging functions would creep
into everyday life, giving more surveillance powers to the government,
critics say.
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- Still, the car is packed with more-conventional, less-ominous
gizmos. The same smartcard would store each driver's preferences for seat
position, mirror angels and favorite radio stations. Its speedometer reads
signals from speed signs on the road and displays the speed limit in comparison
to the car's velocity. Phone and GPS devices let the driver keep track
of friends' whereabouts. And it would sport a 240-horsepower engine.
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- The Sportivo would be equipped with all-wheel-drive and
a high-performance PBR braking system, putting it on par with Japanese
turbo rockets like Subaru's WRX.
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