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California's Revised Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance Draws Continued Objections

The EFF has restated many of their original privacy objections about California's latest revision to the Pay-As-You-Drive auto insurance proposal. Admitting that the amended bill is an improvement, privacy advocates are still uneasy about the surveillance implications of this program. "The proposal centers on a simple idea: infrequent drivers are less of an insurance risk. By pricing policies according to the mileage driven, insurance companies can offer discounts to lower-risk infrequent drivers, and put an appropriate cost penalty on heavy drivers. The state estimates that 30% adoption of PAYD insurance nationwide would reduce miles driven by at least 10% among subscribers, and save 55 million tons of CO2 over the next ten years. The benefits of such a system could be quite dramatic, as California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is sure to emphasize. Such insurance plans first became available in 2004, and are now available as a limited option in 30 US states from insurance companies like Progressive and Liberty Mutual."

2 of 411 comments (clear)

  1. Not just privacy concerns by geekoid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    but it lacks any practicality fo California.

    All this will do is make insurance unaffordable to low income families that have toi drive due to the distance they must commute. Meaning more uninsured motorists.

    They al ready take it into account some what, and that's enough.

    This is just attempt to squeeze another dime out of people who must have this service.

    Quite frankly, if the Government is going to mandate insurance, then it should also offer a base insurance program, at cost.
    Just one that covers the minimum insurance levels. If you want more, then you can buy more from an insurance company.

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  2. insurance at the gas pump by hypethetica · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd always thought it would be a neat idea to roll auto insurance in at the gas pump. No more uninsured drivers, plus it would be an incentive to reduce driving. obviously LOTS of holes in the plan, but it would eliminate the big brother aspect of this proposal.