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

---

Private Medical Insurance- Finding The Right Policy for You

Why Private Medical Insurance Is Becoming So PopularRecent research indicates... Read More

Insurance Claim Handling Online - TPA Adjuster System

Claims management and administration software systems enable insurance claims adjusters,... Read More

Car Insurance Online ? Benefits of Applying for Auto Insurance Online

Drivers are applying for auto insurance online not just for... Read More

Discount Auto Insurance - Get Low Rates And Superior Coverage

Auto insurance rates can be quite expensive. If you are... Read More

Used Car Insurance

Every state requires that drivers carry liability insurance. The liability... Read More

Tips For Lowering Your Auto Insurance Quote

Do you have many claims? If so, you should do... Read More

Do You Pay Too Much For Your Car Insurance?

Do the premiums just seem to get higher and higher... Read More

Cut Business Insurance in 8 ways

1. Comply with recommendations from company engineers and loss control.... 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

Internet Insurance Leads

It is a fact that more and more people everyday... Read More

Global Warming: Why Consumers and Insurers Are Getting Hot Under the Collar Over Life Insurance.

Global warming may have been lurking on our horizon for... Read More

The Life Insurance Policy and What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Are you looking to buy a life insurance policy? Well,... Read More

Cheap Health Insurance Rates and Personal Health Insurance

If you've been out of school for a couple of... Read More

How To Best Handle Health Insurance Plan Changes

Many economists have suggested and recent economic data indicates that... Read More

Affordable Insurance Quotes To Save You Money!

Whether you're looking for insurance quotes for auto, life, travel... Read More

Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance Claim Guide

This is a FREE Insurance Claim GuideYour "Motor Vehicle" can... Read More

Life Insurance Beneficiaries

Naming a beneficiary for your life insurance policy can be... Read More

The Great Value Of Accident Photographs

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

Poor call centre performances driving motorists online for insurance

In their efforts to cut costs more and more finance... Read More

Health Savings Account (HSA): Do I Lose It At the End of Each Year?

The Health Savings Account (HSA) is an amazing tool to... Read More

Insure Your House

When we talk about insurance the thing you have to... Read More

How Do I Lower My Auto Insurance Premiums?

It seems as though the price of everything is on... Read More

Long Term Care Insurance - Low Cost Alternatives For Budget Conscious Seniors!

With Nursing home Cost's running $4,000 to $6,000 a month... Read More

Life Insurance Providing Little Protection from Terrorism

Recent statements by the City of London Police Commissioner James... Read More

Free Money Saving Auto Insurance Tips

Our money saving auto insurance tips were written for one... Read More

Car Insurance Discounts

Trying to save money wherever you can is important to... Read More

Apply Online for Temporary Health Insurance

There are times when you'll find yourself temporarily without health... Read More

Life Insurance: Who Needs It And How Much Do You Need?

Your friendly, neighborhood life insurance agent is most likely to... Read More

Discount Life Insurance Will Give You The Best Protection You Need

There is always a chance that there is a better... Read More

High Risk Auto Insurance - How to Lower Rates

How is your driving record lately? Do you have a... Read More

The Ups and Downs of Temporary Health Insurance

If you're a recent college graduate, or in between jobs,... Read More

Group Term Life Insurance and the Options Available

Group term life insurance is more affordable than individual life... Read More

Health Insurance Plans - Benefits to Different Plans & Providers

Health insurance plans vary in their coverage and prices. The... Read More