This is an April Fools
To keep the highway death toll to a minimum and enforce the safety code, Transport Canada is currently studying the possibility of the mandatory inclusion of a black box in all vehicles sold in the country from 2016 onwards.
The box would be able to determine the location and speed of the vehicle in real time. Using a database constantly updated by the provinces and municipalities, an automatic system would analyze the data collected and issue fines to speeding drivers.
Not only would the technology limit the number of deaths linked to speeding incidents, it would also change the driving habits of many motorists. Red-light cameras and photo radar have demonstrated their efficiency around the world and helped generate large sums of money that can be injected into health care, education and infrastructure management.
In a country as vast as Canada, there will never be enough police officers to enforce the law on every street corner. For Transport Canada, using black boxes would be the perfect complement to the work of the police force, who could then concentrate on other offences such as drunk driving, road rage, illegal use of commuter lanes, etc.
Of course, many will question the legitimacy of such a strategy. Is this just another way to make money, or a giant step towards safer roads? A system that keeps constant track of people may well rouse the indignation of privacy advocates.
A team of three scientists is currently testing the device to determine its level of reliability and efficiency. Once the results are in, government officials will decide if a bill will be submitted to Parliament.