Big Brother In Your Front Seat

Rick Zeman writes "Would you give up your privacy in your car to save a few bucks on your auto insurance? 'Safe' drivers who plug an electronic device into their vehicles will be then eligible for a discount on their insurance. They say, '...the device constantly tracks car speed. By comparing that with a clock in the TripSense device, the device figures how far the car goes, mapping it against the time of day. At the end of each policy term, the customer would download the data and see what discount he or she would get. Customers can see all their data before deciding to send it to Progressive, and can decide not to send it -- and not get extra discounts.' I wonder how soon it will be that everyone has one except those resigned to paying extra as with grocery 'convenience' cards."

And with that news

[Evets]

Porsche stock went down 22%

Re:No

[Dr. Bent]

You: Stay the f**k out of my life.

InsureCo: No problem. Have a nice day and good luck driving your car without insurance.

What is next?!

[SpiritOfGrandeur]

Report -- You traveled 4 hours this month at speeds of over 100 miles per hour...
-- You traveled 1.2 hours this month at speeds of over 120 miles per hours...
-- It is estimated that you traveled 0.0 hours below the speed limit this month...
-- You traveled 3432 miles this month...
-- You spent 60.4 hours in the car this month...
-- You need a life...
-- You have had 0 girls in the car this month...
-- You have had your laptop in the car for a total of 60.4 hours...
-- LOSER

Nothing like helping the self-esteem and getting a 0$ discount

Re:I doubt this will take off

[Anonymous Coward]

How many people actually obey the speed limit all the time?

Four.

Re:And with that news

[ryane67]

and Kia's stock went up 22%

Re:No

[dartboard]

It's only mandated if you want to drive on public roads. If you build your own [private] highway system then you no longer need insurance. Easy-cheesey!

Re:go monopoly

[twbecker]

How about "Stay the fuck out of my car, eh?"

From my cold, dead fingers

[Trurl's Machine]

Big Brother In Your Front Seat (...) "Would you give up your privacy in your car to save a few bucks on your auto insurance?

Give up privacy of my back seat? Never. No way. Okay, okay, certainly not for just few bucks, but serious offers will be considered. Oh, you said "front seat"? No problem then.

Re:No

[Xzzy]

> You know that, to save the children, eventually these things will be mandatory by law.

They couldn't enforce any such law on older vehicles. In this particular case, it would be any vehicle older than 1996, which is when the diagnostic adapter that this device uses started appearing.

I drive an early 60's, when I bought it it wasn't equipped with seat belts because at that point in history there were no seatbelt laws. First time I got pulled over for not wearing one it was quite fun to point out how I was exempt. I eventually installed some aftermarket ones because driving with no belt is plain out stupid, but the blank look the officer briefly gave me was well worth it. ;)

Considering the availability of vehicles, especially 1995 and earlier, you could go a long, long time snubbing any such law that was put in place.

Bidding starts at $1 - NO RESERVE

[birukun]

You are bidding on one (1) Sunday Driver Profile (SDP)package.

Includes:
1 SDP download (compatible with GEICO, AAA, Allstate, Progressive, and Farmers)
1 SDP handbook that includes background information of driving habits for answering those aggressive insurance agents

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Re:No

[TWX]

I'm glad that I drive a '78 Chrysler Cordoba. Not only would it be exempt, but chicks dig the Fine Corinthian Leather®!

It's a shame how Ricardo Montalban went from a Cordoba [cordobaclubusa.com] to a Reliant [imdb.com]...

Just give it to mom...

[harpoon]

Sure, just give the box registered in your name to your mother, or grandmother.

Alternatively, turn the box on only for "safe days", i.e. when you're driving slow because of traffic or alcohol consumption.

Re:go monopoly

[rudeboy1]

And on that note, I'm starting a new acronym:
SDCOM

Sprayed Diet Coke Over Monitor.

Nice one.

Re:Entrapment?

[Strange_Attractor]

Gotta love this. It's entrampment.

I wouldn't mind being entramped a little, even if I had to pay more for my insurance...<G>

Re:No

[pizzaman100]

How can the device KNOW the speed limit when compared with the speed driven?

Simple, flood the road ways with an inverse tachyon matrix.

Re:No

[ArsonSmith]

RTFA!!! It uses GPS and proximity generated sonic cameras (cool tech, uses ultra sonic emiters to generate 3D images) to see what your are doing and where you are at all times. The insurance companies then take this information and send it to the NSA wher they process everything you have done over the past year and give you a terrist rating. This is then used to prioritize the people that it tracks with greater details. If you are given a high enough rateing a thought monitor will be installed. Unfortantly the thought monitor comes in the form of a very uncomfortable anal probe.

I know because I beta tested this system.

The Obvious Solution

[switcha]

Once you get back from driving crazy, you and your mischievous, but good-natured friend put the car up on jacks and run it in reverse for awhile to turn all the...

Cameron, NOOOOOOO!!!!

*Screeeeee* *crashhhhhh*

Re:No

[5m477m4n]

I have a 1968 Firebird with only lap belts and I have been stopped as well because they just look for no shoulder strap. It's fun to tug at the lap belt and say 'it's right here.' Then they get mad and start looking for any other "violations" they can find...

btw does anyone know if these boxes could tell me my 1/4 mile times? It's too expensive to go to a track.

Re:Just give it to mom...

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, just give the box registered in your name to your mother, or grandmother.

Good god, no! I don't want my rates to sky-rocket.

Have you *seen* how people in our parent's generation drive? They scare the shit out of me.

Re:No

[peg0cjs]

That sounds like fun. Eject a few bad drivers and it becomes a PPV event!

Re:No

[Anonymous Coward]

You spell marijuana correctly, but spell Sweden incorrectly.

Hmm, I wonder what your education consisted of? :)

Re:go monopoly

[rastos1]

As oposite to: "Wanna fuck in my car?"