Drivers Lose privacy, Get Insurance Discounts Instead

[Tombstone]

For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord.

An electronic monitor the size of a matchbook closely tracked Sevlie's driving time and behavior. If he had a heavy foot or was a sudden braker, the auto data recorder would betray him.

http://www.technologyreview.com/arti.../ap_090304.asp

[Peg]

Originally Posted by Tombstone

For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord.

An electronic monitor the size of a matchbook closely tracked Sevlie's driving time and behavior. If he had a heavy foot or was a sudden braker, the auto data recorder would betray him.

http://www.technologyreview.com/arti.../ap_090304.asp

I kind of like the idea with our insurance rates being so high. I'd make sure I was with hubby in the car for those 2 months so I could backseat drive and tell him to watch the speed limit. He got 2 speeding tickets in one month, and another time was on his way to pay a fine for not wearing his seatbelt and got a speeding ticket.

[Tombstone]

What do you think about the idea of having the insurance cost placed into each gallon of gas? The more you drive, the more you pay. Everyone participates and it gets rid of the uninsured motorist problems.

Just fishing for comments!

[Bill Sikes]

Originally Posted by Tombstone

What do you think about the idea of having the insurance cost placed into each gallon of gas? The more you drive, the more you pay. Everyone participates and it gets rid of the uninsured motorist problems.

Just fishing for comments!

In Great Britian, we have to pay something referred to as "Road Tax" - you
pay a yearly amount, currently £150 in many cases, for which you get a
circular "licence" to display inside your windscreen. Not having one of these
is an offence. To get one of these, you also have to have a valid Certificate
of Insurance, and a Ministry of Transport test certificate, which says that
your vehicle was safe at the date and time of that test (renewed yearly).

Do you in the U.S.A. have anything like that?

It has been suggested that the cost of this tax should be incorporated into
road fuel price - IMO a sensible suggestion. However, people who do much
more than the yearly average set up a howl, and the Gummint won't wear
it, dear little control freaks that they are.

The idea of insurance cost being incorporated into fuel cost is, at first sight,
a good one - but what about people who are safe drivers subsidising those
who are more dangerous, for one thing?

[anastrophe]

in the US - at least in most states - one is required to carry insurance. each car has an annual registration fee, which can run into the thousands of dollars. as well, every gallon of gasoline has a significant amount of taxes levied, in california we pay 32 cents in state taxes, and 18 cents in federal taxes. these are ostensibly to maintain our roads and highways, but the revenues are routinely raided to pay for other things - once again, those in government show their contempt for those who support them.

here in california last year a state proposition passed mandating that highway taxes be spent on, ironically, highway and road improvements. there was a great hue and cry from special interest groups bemoaning how they'll drop off the face of the earth if the measure passed. well, pardon my french, but **** 'em. if you want your little pet welfare program funded, then ask the public for a new tax, and let the public decide if they want it.

gosh, am i ranting?

[anastrophe]

Originally Posted by anastrophe

well, pardon my french, but **** 'em.

wow. i'm pretty shocked, i can't swear here. i thought we were adults. if i want to express my disgust by saying f u c k 'em, i think i have the right!

[Bill Sikes]

Originally Posted by anastrophe

wow. i'm pretty shocked, i can't swear here. i thought we were adults. if i want to express my disgust by saying f u c k 'em, i think i have the right!

Hmm, did you get a "private message", some other complaint, or does the
"forum" software auto-censor expletives, I wonder?

Let's see what happens to the name of the town of Scunthorpe - and what
about the name of the author Emily Dickinson, or of the name John Hancock?

There are more, abut I can't be "parsed" to type them in!

[plazul]

Originally Posted by anastrophe

wow. i'm pretty shocked, i can't swear here. i thought we were adults. if i want to express my disgust by saying f u c k 'em, i think i have the right!

Most good discussion sites delete expletives and have a civility policy but you still get the drift when people want to use profanity.

[Paula]

i have been wanting a video camera mounted on the dash of my S-80 volvo, i am a good driver who is not on the road often, when some-one makes a mistake i like it on tape, eventually this dream will come true & some where there is a design for this? other things needed, tape recorder in cell phones & radios, (am) talk shows.