Car Insurance Monitoring for Discounted Insurance Rates - Privacy Devouring Monster Eating Us One Bi

For a price, would you let car insurer along for the ride? - asks a USA Today technology story by Kevin Maney. It seems that Progressive Insurance and IBM have worked out a scheme to pay drivers to be safer - by monitoring their every move in their own cars, and how fast they make that move, and where they park, and what time they drive.

The program is being tested in Minnesota and in the U.K. in a privacy busting program that rewards drivers for keeping under the maximum speed limits and driving during safer times of day. It's an interesting twist that is compared here to a shopper reward card that monitors what you buy, although it doesn't give you lower prices if you buy healthy food - which seems like the best analogy. (But it does let the food chains know how often you shop and how much you spend on what types of food, and alcohol, and cigarettes and trashy tabloids.)

Drivers must attach an electronic monitor to their cars that downloads information which is generated and stored there in diagnostic chips included in most newer model vehicles. As they drive, it stores current driving behavior - and location - and driving times and at the end of the defined time, drivers take the unit into the house, attach a USB cable and download that information into their computer and transmit it to Progressive.

But the insurance discount program does have an interesting twist in the Minnesota test. Apparently drivers who see from their downloaded information (or just know they drove badly at times) that they exceeded maximum speed limits, drove during expensive times (2am when bars close is most expensive, after 11pm is next) can choose NOT to send that information to Progressive and pay the normal undiscounted insurance rate.

It appears to have the true benefit of making drivers become more cautious and drive within limits of the law during safe hours. There is nothing wrong with this for those willing to give up the information. This allows those willing to be monitored the choice to send the information to their insurer and get a discount or NOT send it to pay normal rates. It's worth considering.

I'm among those who continues to use supermarket loyalty cards, even though I despise the fact that they can see my purchase history and note my travel habits. The savings are just too great to pass up. (I used a false name to set the card up, but quickly noted that they tied together my debit card name and loyalty card purchases, thus gaining that information that I had denied them with the false name - now I use cash.) You certainly can't do the same with the insurance driving discounts. Information must be accurate to properly insure and discount the policy.

The UK program is more invasive and offers far less choice. Drivers must always download the information from the car module to gain insurance discounts and the British company monitors more information from those UK drivers.

The US version may have some merit if choice remains a part of the equation upon full rollout to American drivers who want that ten percent discount on auto insurance policies in exchange for giving up the privacy of their driving habits.

The disturbing part of this, again, as always, is the possible merging of multiple databases to form near perfect surveillance pictures of us with each new development. Our supermarket discounts show that big database what we eat, what else we buy at the grocery, the insurance information defines our travels and schedule, our credit and debit card use defines our spending, travel and lifestyles, while multiple other databases from airline security info to phone records can be merged at any time to form near perfect pictures of our lives for anyone that wants to access it.

Once a national ID (driver licenses will soon carry mandatory magnetic information and will serve as a defacto national ID), we can be fully monitored, tracked, analyzed and digitized to form a truly invasive database of numbers and bits of information about each of us.

The sources of data about each of us are growing daily. The concern is the loss or abuse of that data through commercial and/or governmental negligence and/or criminal intent. The methods to access that data are growing as the sources proliferate.

Privacy is something we give up in small bits for small benefits, like cheaper produce using supermarket loyalty cards and insurance discounts using car monitors hooked up to our insurance carrier. We need laws to control and safegaurd each of those databases and stop any merging of those multiple sources of data into the ultimate Big Brother database.

I want my car insurance reduced and I'm willing to consider this newest scheme if I have choice of whether to send my info to my insurer. I will send it when I've been good and won't when I have been less good. But I don't want it merged with my other sources of data or shared among commercial interests who may see fit to sell it to each other.

It gets more interesting daily. Who is in control of this privacy devouring data monster?

Mike Banks Valentine blogs on privacy issues at: http://PrivacyNotes.com/privacy_blog/ You can subscribe to the RSS feed by entering My Yahoo or My MSN at: http://privacynotes.com/privacy_blog/atom.xml Web Content Resource From http://Publish101.com

---

How Is Your Auto Insurance Policy Price Determined?

The average auto insurance policy price is derived from a... Read More

Accident Insurance Claim Personal Injury Insights

There's nothing that has a greater impact on evaluating a... Read More

Insurance: A Necessity for Peace of Mind

There are many choices for insurance. Insurance is a policy... Read More

Are You Sure That Heirloom Oriental Rug From Your Aunt Hilda Is Really Insured?

Gone are the days of the cinder block and wood... Read More

How Does Credit History Affect Car Insurance Rates?

Many personal car insurance companies consider your credit information when... Read More

The Great Value Of Accident Photographs

You were humming along on a bright and sunny day... Read More

Are Accidents More Likely To Occur Closer To Home?

If you are going to be involved in an accident,... Read More

Car Insurance Advice for Young Drivers in the UK

Over the course of the last ten years, car insurance... Read More

Types of Auto Insurance Coverage Explained

A question you might ask yourself is: why must we... Read More

What Does Buildings Insurance Cover?

You will find that your lender will insist that you... Read More

How to Shop for Individual Health Insurance

If you find yourself in the position of shopping for... Read More

Online Insurance Quotes California Auto

Finding insurance quotes for California auto is now pretty easy.... Read More

What Are The Auto Liability Insurance State Minimums For My State?

As you shop online for the best auto insurance deals... Read More

10 Ways to Lower Your Auto Insurance

Nowadays, auto insurance is really expensive. A typical insurance policy... Read More

Why Should I Go To A Life Insurance Broker?

A life insurance broker is a dedicated person that encourages... Read More

Seven Steps to Filing Your Car Insurance Claim

Having even a teeny-tiny car accident can be one of... Read More

Travel Health Insurance - Understand the Benefits

If you're planning an overseas trip, you need travel health... Read More

Insights Into Your Med-Pay Insurance Coverage

While Legal Romantics would like to characterize the trial of... Read More

Know Your Own Worth: A Practical Insight Into Covering Up

Almost anything can be insured these days: breasts, legs, your... Read More

Finding Health Insurance for Self-Employed Individuals: A Guide For the Freelance Newbie

With a rise in those looking to venture out on... Read More

Reducing Soaring Insurance Claim Costs

With the soaring rise in claims to insurers from their... Read More

Choosing Long-Term Care Insurance

A little over sixty percent of the folks who reach... Read More

Business Insurance; Information you will need

When you start a small business you will need to... Read More

Taking The Mystery Out Of Long-Term Care Insurance

Here's the good news: with improvements in medical technology and... Read More

Young Driver Car Insurance

It has become increasingly difficult to get young driver car... Read More

Useful Tips on Reducing Insurance Costs

Most people want lower insurance costs but are often too... Read More

Inside-Information Regarding Your Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance Claim

Here's some "Inside-Info" you must know so you won't be... Read More

Insurance For The Self Employed And Those Seeking Health Insurance

First of all, congratulations on deciding to go out and... Read More

What Is Renters Insurance Really All About?

Renter's insurance is protection intended for anyone who rents an... Read More

What is Pet Health Insurance?

Pet Health Insurance can give you the peace of mind... Read More

Life Insurance Benefits

Life Insurance is a legal contract between you and a... Read More

Finding California High Risk Truck Insurance

California high risk truck insuranceIf your are in need of... Read More

Term Life Insurance on Your Business Partner

Life insurance is something we often take out to protect... Read More