RFID-enabled Vehicles: Pinch My Ride

Billosaur writes "Wired has an excellent article on the problems with the theft of RFID-enabled vehicles and how insurance companies are so over-confident in the technology, they are denying claims when such vehicles are stolen. Example: "Emad Wassef walked out of a Target store in Orange County, California, to find a big space where his 2003 Lincoln Navigator had been. The 38-year-old truck driver and former reserve Los Angeles police officer did what anyone would do: He reported the theft to the cops and called his insurance company. Two weeks later, the black SUV turned up near the Mexico border, minus its stereo, airbags, DVD player, and door panels. Wassef assumed he had a straightforward claim for around $25,000. His insurer, Chicago-based Unitrin Direct, disagreed." Their forensic examiner concluded that since all the keys were accounted for, there was no way the engine could have been started, despite the evidence that the ignition lock had been forced and the steering wheel locking lug had been damaged."

Comments

Re:Who really telling the truth

[soft_guy]

It is quite easy to get around these systems. There are well known back doors put in by the manufacturer. A common one is pulling the emergency brake in a certian pattern.

Re:Here's an idea

[DocLandolt]

Who contributes to this problem more: The guy who gets 30+mpg, or the guy who gets 13 mpg?

Perhaps the guy who bought the 13 mpg SUV did so because he lives less than a mile from work and hardly drives? Perhaps he requires it for hauling kids/wares?

What if the guy who bought the 30+mpg ride did so because he loves to drive for fun, polluting more and *shudder* pissing away your precious natural resources anyway? What say you then?

"All generalizations are dangerous. Even this one." - Dumas