A vehicle safety system is disclosed. There are three major parts of the
system--the proximity reader (200) mounted in the taxi (201), the host
system (202) at a central location (203) and the data replication
facility. The vehicular system (10) is essentially a computer having
inputs and outputs. The inputs to the system (10) include, for example,
passenger identification information (11) which is supplied by a sensor
(12) which communicates with a wireless smart card (13), which is carried
by a passenger (14). In its most rudimentary form, the smart card (13)
transmits a unique identification number. In more sophisticated
embodiments, the smart card (13) may also transmit biometric information
such as fingerprint information or facial image information. The
passenger (14) may also be requested to input a PIN number to a keypad
(15) mounted on the exterior of the vehicle (16).