Re: Clueless Media Strikes Again
From: Shy One (chitowndale_at_ameritech.net)
Date: 11/27/04
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Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 11:06:05 GMT
I am late to this discussion but there are several things in the offing via
insurance companies. One company is intending to hook a device to the car's
computer to record mileage, speed, time of day driving, etc. I don't know
the nature of the device but the incentive is a reduction in the rate you
would pay to insure your car.
Progressive Casualty Ins calls theirs TripSense and it records all driving
information. At the end of the term of your policy you download the
information and they then compute your discount, if any.
After plugging the device into the OBDII port of your car's computer it
records start time and end time of each trip, duration, number of
"aggressive braking" events during each trip, number of "aggressive
acceleration" events during each trip, miles drive, speed in 10 second
intervals, distance. It also records date and time of any connections and
disconnections of the device from the OBDII port so you can't sneak any
unrecorded trips in.
Progressive has a second rating method called AutoGraph. This one uses a
"black box" that is a GPS and cellular tower detection facility and it is
supposed to base discounts on all of the same features that their TripSense
system does but also by WHERE you drive. If you drive through neighborhoods
they consider to be "bad" or intersections they deem more dangerous than
normal then your discount will be reduced and you may even end up paying
more than the regular insurance rate. Same for when you are driving through
these neighborhoods and whether you stop in them for any length of time (if
you decide to visit a bar or even a relative's home that happens to be
located in what they deem a dangerous neighborhood). So you see, that it
isn't necessary for GPS satellites to detect anything since the data routing
is the opposite of that. GPS sends signal, black box picks it up and either
sends data to cellular tower or marries data with triangulation from
multiple cellular towers to be broadcast at a later time. Either way, they
will know what you are doing with your vehicle and when and where you are
doing it.
Quartix has a vehicle tracking system currently available in the UK and it
may spread to the rest of the world.
Fireman's Fund Insurance has a license to use Progressive's "black box"
hardware and software.
Georgia Institute of Technology is testing a similar system to Progressive's
for feasibility. Their test should have wrapped up last month and results
should be published any time now.
The bottom line is that if an entity like the state of California, Ohio (who
was also studying this) or Georgia were to get on board with Progressive and
Fireman's Fund, this could become a reality. Coupled with OnStar and VGuard
(which uses both cellular and GPS in its service) there would be plenty of
suppliers of equipment and enough drivers that would jump at the insurance
premium discounts to make this really happen.
So this is not an Urban Legend, it is a soon to be Urban Nightmare where big
brother will be able to charge for roads based upon usage, making ALL roads
into toll roads. Collecting tickets by determining how long you parked in a
no parking zone without having to place people on the street to catch you.
We already have cameras to catch people running red lights, but if coupled
with this system that will become obsolete since there is a fellow working
on a DGPS system (Determinant GPS - more accurate that standard GPS systems)
coupled with traffic signals that would capture people running red lights
without the need for cameras. Add to this the fact that if the government
gets your GPS data then you will get speeding tickets in the mail...
Now I may seem paranoid, but then again, when has the government ever done
anything that was of benefit to us and not to them. With every state and
municipality looking for revenue in every place possible, what do you think
will happen if they do implement this monstrosity?
Dale
"Peter" <prathman@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:PeednbwSKOD74gbcRVn-uQ@comcast.com...
> Jack Yeazel wrote:
>
>> Has anybody checked all this with Urban Legends???!!!
>>
> That the new DMV director supports the idea doesn't seem
> to be in doubt with many such reports in the local papers,
> TV news, etc. E.g.:
> http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/news/111604_nw_gas_tax.html
>
> The news last night included interviews with selected
> drivers and most were opposed with the predictable
> exception of a few drivers of Hummers and similar
> vehicles who would come out financially ahead with
> this approach.
>
>> Stan Gosnell wrote:
>>
>>>Scott en Aztlán <slothkills@NOyahooSPAM.com> wrote in
>>>news:789kp0dpth6bj99993k0arh16blhfouuc3@4ax.com:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Gee, I didn't know that GPS satellites were able to *receive* signals
>>>>from - and *follow* - private automobiles...
>>>
>>>>SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday appointed a new
>>>>Department of Motor Vehicles director who has advocated taxing
>>>>motorists for every mile they drive — by placing tracking devices in
>>>>their cars.
>>>
>>>Sounds like it's not just the media who are clueless. Arnold's DMV czar
>>>appears to also be suffering from acute CDD.
>
>
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