A relatively low cost but effective vehicular safety system includes a navigational
status determination system generating navigational status information, an alarm
response system generating alarm responses in response to alarm response command
information and a data processing system. The data processing system stores a list
of safety zones having one or more safety conditions for each safety zone. The
data processing system receives the navigational status information and compares
the received navigational status information to the stored safety conditions. If
a safety condition is found to be violated the data processing system communicates
a response command to the alarm response system. Depending upon the severity of
the violated safety condition, the alarm response system notifies the vehicle operator
of the violation, notifies law enforcement authorities external to the vehicle
of the violation or takes some other safety response. In an extreme condition,
the alarm response system assumes control over some aspect of the operation of
the vehicle such as steering or engine control.