I posted my submission to the contest here. Stumbled across the post while flipping through posts today and I thought I might as well do a follow-up on the project. If you haven't yet, go to the official website, it's still online.

First of all, I didn't win. Bummer.

You can see the winning video demonstration on site. Basically the idea is to take all the cash people pay on speeding fines, pack it all together, and give it back to the people, to the people who actually drive at legal speeds. I didn't expect to win, so don't think I'm just being jealous or something when I state my view, but I think it's pretty stupid that this entry should win the whole competition.

Sure, the idea is ok, it might make it more interesting for people to drive at legal speeds, nothing wrong with that. The reasons I'm not interested at all are multiple. First, I like driving fast. I also don't like the idea of putting up speed cameras all over the country, not just because it forces me to drive slower, but because it causes injustice. People pay more attention to the speed cameras than to the cars around them, they drive slower than needed, they waste time, they waste interest, they waste energy. Some people drive faster and still drive great, it's a matter of skill and highly personal. I'm not saying I drive great, but I know plenty of people who frequently take risks while driving that I would never dream of... and no they aren't teenagers.

Laws apply to everyone, but I don't think I'm the only one who sees the speed limits as a recommendation, not a barrier. I mean I know it's a barrier, but I don't believe it should be, I believe it causes more stress than it solves. Everything depends on the weather, on you, on your car (I'm not saying BMWs should never need to slow down though, that's a myth) and the environment around you.

Another stupid idea is to fill in the gaps between speed limits, instead of needing to focus on 30, 50, 70, 90 & 110 we now have 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 & 120 as well, and that's just unneeded. Waste of time, waste of money, waste of resources. I can think of a thousand better things to spend that cash on. Example: giving everyone in the country a free toothbrush. Or, if they want the giveaway to be commercially beneficial, give everyone something with sugar in it instead. That's how the world works, not like it should work, much like this contest.

I've vented out my thoughts a bit, but the main point is that there were so many other great ideas, much better than the winning entry. Entries that provided only benefit, that wouldn't be subject to such an ongoing feud as this one would be. Even my dynamo idea was better, and there were heaps of ideas that were better than mine, but not this one. I'm disappointed. :/