Judge uses black boxes to keep bad drivers in line

What's a judge to do with bad drivers - really bad drivers? In Michigan, a judge is requiring that black box technology be installed on their cars, according to the Detroit News. Under Michigan's DRIVE - Driver Rehabilitation Incorporating Vehicular Education -  program, 60 defendants had the boxes installed in their cars since Judge Brian MacKenzie started the program last year.

"The idea is to come up with a sentence that makes the individuals coming into the program better drivers, safer drivers, improving the safety of everyone around," MacKenzie told The Detroit News. "And it seems to work." None of the drivers sentenced under DRIVE have been in court or had accidents. The  article says:

The boxes emit a loud beep when a car speeds or accelerates too rapidly. They ultimately will be modified so driver actions can be tracked by satellite. Data is gathered monthly and sent to a driver's probation officer.

"It's not like Big Brother; it's a sentence that's trying to do the right thing, the appropriate thing, to guarantee the community's safety," MacKenzie said. "It's not going to be in their car forever, but it's going to be there to demonstrate that they've learned to drive appropriately."

 For more on vehicle black boxes, see this News.com report: "Rocky Road for Car Black Boxes."