The Nanny State Is Coming To New Fords & A Top Gear Announcement

Ford is installing new technology that will know speed limits, and will keep drivers from exceeding the speed limit on the new S-Max that is being launched in Europe.

Engadget reports the system uses a camera mounted on the windshield that looks for road signs and automatically adjusts the cars speed to match. The system does not use braking to adjust the speed, but rather limits the amount of fuel in the cylinders, which slows the vehicle. The system can be temporarily turned off with a button on the dash, or by giving the gas pedal a hard press. The system is meant to make travel safer and to keep motorists from getting speeding tickets.

So, why does this matter, considering it is not even an American car? European car standards eventually hop the pond, such as the increasing CAFÉ standards being placed on automobile manufacturers. You will see this technology here within the next decade, most likely sooner rather than later.

It is official; Jeremy Clarkson’s contract that was due at the end of this month will not be renewed. The Guardian reports this morning that Clarkson’s fight with a producer was the final straw for Clarkson in the eyes of BBC’s director Tony Hall. It has not been reported if co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May’s contracts will be renewed, or if they will follow Clarkson on his way out. Hammond and May have been refusing to present the show since Clarkson was suspended March 10. May already claims on his Twitter account to be unemployed. Hammond has made similar statements in Facebook posts.