| Brief Guide to GPS and Satellite Navigation |
| Origins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Some 30 years ago, the idea that an ordinary family car would have a system which would guide the driver, with pin point accuracy from one place to another, existed largely in the realms of science fiction; yet today it is a fact. It is achieved through the use of GPS (Global Positioning System). GPS grew out of the desire of the American Military to have a means of very precise world wide positioning. Billions of dollars were spent in its development. Fortunately for us, it has many everyday uses through Satellite Navigation Systems and is now something that is within the reach of many people's pockets. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Benefits | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Firstly, it allows you to determine where you are anywhere on this planet, no matter how remote you may be. The benefits for travelers, whether in a car, train or plane are clear, in terms of route finding and determining your absolute location. If you are keen on hill walking in remote areas, you can use a hand held GPS device. If your map reading skills fail and you are not sure where you are. Satellite Navigation can help you circum-navigate the world; Ellen McCarthy made use of modern technology in her incredible feat of sailing non stop around the world, in 71 days.
If you have an account with one of the large taxi / transport companies then once you have booked your cab on line, you can monitor its arrival on a computer screen through the use of the GPS which is fitted as standard equipment in their vehicles. Satellite navigation systems can help breakdown organisations and emergency services by identifying a rescue vehicle that is nearest to an emergency. In the future, satellite navigation / GPS may be used for automatic road tolling (another way for the Government to make money out of the hapless motorist) and possibly automatic vehicle control. Sat Nav (its usual abbreviation) has been used to map coastlines and geographical features with amazing accuracy. Sailors and commercial fishing operations could make use of satellite navigation to locate the best fishing areas and also track fish migrations. GPS systems, when combined with mobile phone technologies, may be able to guide holiday makers to the warmest beaches, in the area where they are staying. So GPS and Sat Nav have many uses beyond its original military applications, such as the delivery of smart bombs! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How it works | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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GPS is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a collection of 24 satellites in orbit above the Earth and their ground stations. It uses these satellite reference points to calculate positions that are accurate within a matter of a few metres. In fact, with advanced forms of GPS, it is possible to be even more accurate. On one level and in an electronic sense, it is like giving every square metre on the planet a unique digital address. The receivers needed for GPS have become smaller (just like mobile phones have shrunk in size these last few years) and as integrated circuit technology has become more and more commonplace, so the receivers have become affordable to a greater number of people. Again like digital camera technology, it may not be long before anyone who wants GPS will be able to receive it through a combined mobile phone, digital camera and GPS handset.
The GPS system on board a car or in the mountaineer's hand transmits signals about a person's location to a satellite, and also the exact time they are sending the signal. Each satellite transmits a complex digital code. By comparing this signal with the code produced by the receiver, the time for the signal to travel between the two can be worked out. Satellites carry atomic clocks, capable of incredible precision. This time multiplied by the speed the signal travels gives the distance to the satellite. The actual position of the receiver can only be calculated once the distances to other satellites are measured. Thus, the idea behind GPS is to use satellites in space as reference points for locations back on Earth. The signal receiver must know both the distance to each satellite and also the satellite's precise position in space. The accuracy of the position relayed to the user depends on a number of factors, such as the type of receiver and the environment in which the person is located. In urban areas, GPS / Sat Nav is often 'helped' by other systems (from digital maps, inertial sensors to terrestrial radio); these can help overcome the problems of shadowing by large buildings etc. Generally speaking, Sat Nav does not usually work inside buildings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In car and personal Sat Nav systems | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There are now many different types of Sat Nav system available on the market, most of them are aimed at the motorist though others are available for sailing, hill walkers etc. Most car systems are small enough to sit on the dashboard or can be mounted on a bracket somewhere in the front of the car. Many draw their power from the 12V cigarette lighter socket and can be easily moved from car to car. This 'portability' is very useful for families that have more than one car or indeed organizations that operate car fleets. Some systems are fitted into the 'slot' where the standard car radio / CD player sits. Most systems offer an on screen display plus an audio feedback system, so that the driver receives instructions through a speaker on the unit or through the car's speakers.
The units hold massive amounts of information stored on memory cards and this map data can be updated from CD's or from computer downloads (depending on the type of system fitted). More advanced systems allow you to connect to a control centre, and you enter in the details of your destination and journey. This information is immediately feed into a central computer which then calculates the best route using 'up to the minute' traffic information. The route is then downloaded to the car and you are ready to start your journey, which is monitored remotely and you are warned of delays and offered alternative routes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sat Nav, speed limits and safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Many systems not only have information about the roads, traffic lights, one way systems and such like but also contain information about accident black spots, and the position of most speed cameras. Some of the Sat Nav systems for cars have additional features, for example, built-in sensors that can detect certain types of speed cameras. These systems can alert the driver when s/he enters an accident black spot / area monitored by safety cameras. They often beep or buzz when you approach such a zone, and then give another signal when you enter the zone. These signals and warnings can serve to remind one to focus and concentrate on possible hazards and dangers. Such systems may also offer the possibility of monitoring the speed of the car, so that you have a warning if you are exceeding a local speed limit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motoring Penalty Points | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It used to be thought that the police had a flexible and unwritten rule of giving motorists some 'leeway' or latitude before prosecuting them for 'minor' motoring offences. In recent years this no longer holds, if it ever did, as the police and government agencies are anxious to reduce the number of deaths and serious accidents occasioned through speeding. The penalty points awarded on driving licences for speeding are generally on the following lines:
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| Warning signs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Some of the newer warning systems that have been put in place are helpful to the motorist as they tell you that you are over the speed limit and allow you to do something about it. This is important in areas where speed limits have recently changed.
Radar technology is used by these warning systems, the receiver and transmitter usually visible on the top of the pole. These systems on their own have no camera and do not result in prosecution for speeding. A variation of this system is that the display shows your current speed, rather than the limit itself. Such devices have been used successfully in Lincolnshire, which has one of the best records in reducing road casualties. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed cameras | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Speed Cameras and their use / positioning arouse much debate and emotion. There are some 6000 of them around the UK, and they raised some £20 million in fines in the year 2003 -4. Speeding past one of these cameras automatically results in a 3 point penalty. If you do it four times in a three year period, then you will be banned for 6 months. So just one fast drive down the M4 on a sunny afternoon and you could easily collect enough points to be banned for six months!
Since 1992, some 12 million motorists have been 'caught' by speed cameras and about a quarter of the households in the UK have a driver with a speeding conviction. Until recently, insurers used to raise their premium by at least £50 for those caught by a camera, and by £250 for those caught three times. However, many companies now do not raise the premium for the first offence. A recent article in the Times indicates that some insurers have a somewhat more sophisticated attitude to speeding convictions, taking more notice when someone is stopped by the police for speeding. However, if you do get fined or get a speeding endorsement then you are advised to check the position with your insurance company, as (at present) there is no consistent policy across the various companies. There have been various reports that the Government is considering changing the penalty points system in a new Road safety Bill. One possibility is that drivers will 'attract' 2 points if recorded as being only a little bit over the speed limit. Thus, instead of being disqualified after a fourth offence, drivers might possibly have six chances before a ban is imposed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losing your licence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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It is important to remember that if you accumulate twelve or more points for offences within a three year period ,then a court will disqualify you from driving for six months (at least). It is sometimes possible to avoid or reduce the disqualification if you are able to demonstrate that it would cause exceptional hardship. This hardship might be the loss of employment (particularly when this will affect others who are dependent on you), or where you suffer from illness or disability or the illness / disability of a relative, who is dependent on you for transport. If you are in this situation then it is sensible to seek informed legal advice.
Fame and fortune will not protect you. Jay Kay, the singer with Jamiroquai was banned for six months after driving at more than 100mph (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3630908.stm). A certain Welsh MP was more fortunate, he escaped a driving ban for his 4th speeding offence, as he would face "exceptional hardship". The MP concerned had reached 12 penalty points and admitted speeding. (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3770607.stm). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Motoring offences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Apart from maintaining an appropriate speed for the road conditions, motorists must also ensure that they are not doing anything that might compromise their control of the vehicle. With all the electrical wizardry in modern cars (radios, CD players, stereo systems, route finders, DVD players, mobile phones, sat nav systems), this is sometimes easier said than done. Even the eating of a simple apple can be problematical, as was the case for Sarah McCaffery, who was fined for holding an apple, whilst negotiating a corner in her car ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,1397837,00.html ) . Driving and holding a mobile phone is an offence automatically punishable with a £30 fine. See 'What drivers can do at the wheel' on the BBC site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4268495.stm ).
If anyone's driving falls "below" the standard required as observed by a police officer, then he or she could be guilty of "careless driving". If a driver's attention falls "far below" the standard required, then he/ she could be found guilty of "dangerous driving" (see the table below). You can lose your licence, not as a result of speeding; but as a result of various medical conditions. For example, you suffer a bout of epilepsy then generally a licence will be withheld for a year. Similarly, the same may apply if you have suffered a serious head injury or surgery for a tumour within the skull. For other conditions, it is as well to see you G.P. Degenerative conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis, do not mean that the licence is automatically taken away but your condition should be monitored. Your GP should be able to advise you about driving for example, if you have suffered a heart attack, undergone major surgery etc by consulting the DVLA guidelines. Further information can be found at http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/DriverLicensing/MedicalRulesForDrivers/fs/en Recently, concern has been expressed about elderly drivers, but at present there is no specific upper age limit on driving. However, after the age of 70, the licence has to be renewed every three years. Should you acquire some penalty points or your licence be revoked for any reason, the DVLA site offers information about "Removing expired endorsements" and "How to get your licence back after being disqualified" see http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/endorsem.htm . Basically, endorsements stay on a licence for 4 years (or 11 years in the case of drink driving and other serious offences). After that time you may apply for the endorsements to be removed by sending your licence, with the appropriate form and fee to the DVLA. In the case of disqualification, the DVLA will contact you (56 days before the end of the period of disqualification) and will send you a form to complete and return (again, with the appropriate fee). If you have been disqualified for a short period (less than 56 days), the court will stamp your licence and return it to you. The stamp will indicate the period of disqualification and your licence becomes valid again after the period of disqualification has passed. Penalty points can be given for a large variety of traffic offences / violations, some of which are listed below (again the DVLA provides a lot of detail) Fines are also imposed, which can range from £50 to £5000
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| Comments, copyright and linking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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