pay as you go insurance

[4 forty]

i read this week that a certain insurance company is wanting 5000 of its clients to register with them to have a "black box" fitted to thier cars.
the purpose of this is to test a new venture, being pay as you drive insurance, very nice for members who seldom use thier cars.
but like everything else, the criminal fraternity will soon overcome what is recorded as low useage by fraudulently tampering with the electronics, just like radios can be decoded anywhere, and mobile phones can also be overided.
if they are going to venture into a low useage method of payment, why dont they put the insurance costs on the petrol, which will have a two fold advantage, being, its foolproof,and would help to detect un insured vehicles by making it compulsory to display a disc on the windscreen as done in other european countries including the ireland.
i have no doubt this topic will stir up some interesting response from club members on the forum.


paul

[gareth71]

What a disturbing idea - Big Brother is watching you, eh? :-(

The most worrying thing about it is that any vehicle with one of these black boxes can presumably have its position determined at any time (I'm guessing they would work via some kind of GPS system, yes?), and therefore its speed between two points can also be determined. And wouldn't that be a wonderful new opportunity for PC Plod to rake in a few thousand extra quid in speeding fines ... <cough> ... sorry, "improve road safety and reduce accidents" without even having to tear himself away from watching 'Richard & Judy' in the police station canteen.

[sheerwater]

I agree very worrying.
Do other readers realise that the UK has ONE SIXTH of the worlds total of surveilance cameras!!!Have we really gone so lawless in the UK or is this another Government plot.!!!
I'm watched enough thank you...Im legal 100% so I have nothing to worry about but new high in the sky speed cameras in Northampton check your road tax...check against records at Swansea and nail you if illegal all in 2 miles. Trouble is that the new problem here is stealing number plates!!!!! Those who will can always find a way round the rules.
Finally we used to have a one tier postal service. It went to first and second class on the day the first person who bought a first class stamp sealed the fate for the rest of us. Instead of all post being first class some became second class.The black box has the possibility of putting us all under scrutiny. (damn i'll have to get rid of my six mistresses!!!)
Your idea of petrol+insurance is a good one but unfortunately this would require a government or national insurance company and would discount the variations in driver age/risk etc. Cheers Nige

[Allen]

Interesting stuff about the airborne task disc survailance.

Just because your not paranoid doesn't mean that there not out to get you!

I am also 100% legal and haven't even got the energy for a mistress. It's a sad life!

Allen

[sheerwater]

Hi,
Not just cameras in the sky on very long poles either. Police cars are also being fitted with the devices so if they follow you the kit is checking you out automatically. So beware the one day overdue tax,insurance,mot etc. Note the vast sums of money being spent to get the motorist yet shoplifters,muggings etc. keep rising. Join the ABD on www.abd.org.uk or at least look at the site to see how bad things are getting and going to get!!! Cheers Nige

[joe90]

Orwell's 1984 is closer than you think!

All privately insured vehicles have been recorded on a national database for the past two years. Company cars and large fleets were added this January.

Check out :- http://www.miic.org.uk/

So plod knows before he gets out of his car whether or not there is a valid insurance policy on your vehicle !!!

[sheerwater]

Yep!!!!
Funny how the government is reluctant to introduce i.d. cards for honest citizens yet allows those who flout society to continue with their society destroying ways. As for motorists.... well....we know you cant break any rules whatsoever without the ''system'' clocking you. Also funny how the courts let criminals off with a caution for first offences yet a new motorist gets 6 points and they are off the road. Ah well election time coming.
Cheers Nige

[Mav_UK]

Good point with the caution there Nige,

I do think though that if the goverment has this database, then they should be checking it against taxed cars and sending warnings to those with tax and no insurance. They do that here in Holland and it works wonders. You are allowed to forget once (your first offence) but if you don't get it sorted after that you are in trouble. Ihad a letter becausemy insurance company got it wrong. Was all sorted with no problems (didn't even count as the first offence).

It's all very well integrated here though as well. When you register with a new address at the council all goverment things are automatically changed for you.

Stu

[sheerwater]

I agree Stu,
The trouble comes not with Mr. Average who complies with the regulations but with those who have no intention of ever doing so. As said before number plates are now being stolen to hide the identity of cars. Recently on TV there was a police car chase, helicopters and police everywhere. They caught the guys and then bailed them to go to court. Of course they didnt turn up in court so they get away with it!!! If the fine was proportional to the cost of catching them and they were detained until the court hearing things might be different. Cheers Nige

[JMB]

This subject reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a young lad who works in my local shop who said he'd been quoted &pound;1,600 for insuring a J reg 1.1 Fiesta - with that sort of money you can see why some just can't afford to drive legitimately.

Looking at the cost of insurance for young novice drivers it's a wonder any of them can do it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not supporting the wrongdoing just looking at one of the possible causes.

Plus, I agree that there will always be those that just don't want to go legit. Even an eventual ban for persistent offences won't necessarily get them off of the road - they'll just drive without a licence!

Janet

[Mav_UK]

When I was 18 ('94) I was quoted between 900 and 2000 gbp for a 957cc 1978 fiesta third party only. It was completely stupid!

As for the punishments needing to be stiffer, we all know that problem, and while people are out working to protect the rights of criminals it won't change. We can't have someone locked up just because (s)he persistantly breaks the law now can we?

yeah right.....

Stu

[sheerwater]

Hi,
On the program vote for the city (BBC 28/4) one of the proud boasts of one city was that it was changing an old Victorian jail into a luxury hotel with the hotel rooms being the old cells. Wont need much conversion then!!!!! Going back to insurance. Friends kid had new moped/scooter at £2000+.
Insurance was near £1000. Despite being secured with the official security device it was stolen within 7 month. Payout by insurance ? just over £500. There is zero chance of recovering scooters because they are not police priority around here. They send helicopters to follow stolen cars but the stolen bike I reported being driven around here openly for a whole week did not even bring a response from the police. Its still being driven. Cheers Nige