Big Brother Alert: Lexus, MCI Working to Help Cars Monitor You

Edmunds
Sep. 08, 2005

DETROIT — Japanese automaker Toyota and U.S. telecom provider MCI have come up with two different safety devices whose basic premise is the same: monitor the behavior of drivers in an attempt to enhance safety.

Toyota said its 2007 Lexus GS 450h sedan, due next spring, will feature what may be the world's first production system to monitor the driver's face.

The system tracks the orientation of the driver's face, using a camera mounted on the steering column and an onboard image-processing computer. When other sensors and processors calculate the probability of a collision, the system activates visible and audible warnings if the driver isn't facing forward.

Teen drivers may think a new system developed by MCI's SkyTel unit is even more Big Brother-like.

The company is now marketing a vehicle tracking device that helps parents keep tabs on their children's driving habits. Called SkyGuard, the device employs a global positioning system to track vehicle speed, location and trip history, including any visits to "restricted" areas, which parents can predesignate. Linked to a wireless network, the data can be accessed remotely by parents through a secure Web site.

Prices start at $300 for the hardware and $60 a year for the wireless service. Subscribers can even purchase a plan that can remotely lock and unlock the vehicle.

What this means to you: This is going to be a matter of personal taste. How much oversight do you really want from your car?