Honda warns drivers of crime hotspots via satnav

Posted Mon Apr 21 2008 1:35 PM by Akash Vasvani

Starting this week, Japanese drivers using Honda’s on-board navigation system will receive new alerts advising them when they drive near crime-ridden areas. The system uses information gained from local police to rate districts by risk level and advise drivers about places where cars have recently been stolen, broken into or even damaged.

The system is just another technology available providing drivers with extra information through their navigation systems, reports the Associated Press. Microsoft recently released a web service that uses artificial intelligence to predict traffic hotspots, allowing motorists to avoid them, and before that the software giant also contemplated the idea of in-car ads to support the advent of more advanced and helpful in-car systems like weather reports and on-demand traffic information.

The new system will come online in Japan this Tuesday and Honda is yet to reveal if similar systems will be launched in other markets.

Reader Comments

Mon Apr 21 2008 2:11 PM
chris says

this system wont sell well in detroit... the whole damned city wont even show up on the sat nav
Mon Apr 21 2008 6:12 PM
Gus says

Dammit, Chris, why do you always have to beat me to the punchline?
Los Angeles would be one big red spot...
Mon Apr 21 2008 11:16 PM
Ink Master says

hahahahaa! nice one chris :p lmfao thanks for the good laugh :)

shame I live near detroit :(
Tue Apr 22 2008 11:35 AM
chris says

ink; me too. but i'm a little safer cause theres a mile of water between me and detroit. and we all know criminals cant swim. specially not with a 'piece' in their 'threads' or something along those lines.

MotorAuthority