Big Brother is coming

F1nut

In this country, all 50 states require motorists to have car insurance. However, because tracking the status of a driver's insurance is up to local and state governments, many uninsured drivers are able to avoid detection unless they're stopped for other offenses. That's set to change, as a company called InsureNet is looking to simplify the detection of uninsured drivers by building a list of the nation's uninsured and allowing law enforcement officials to access the list in order to match license plates against it.

InsureNet envisions police and traffic cameras being able to immediately check the status of a vehicle's insurance and, if necessary, issue a citation on the spot or through the mail.

The city of Chicago (no surprise) has already expressed interest in the system, believing that it could raise up to $100 million annually through increased fines, not to mention reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the road, which is estimated at about 16-percent nationwide.

Discuss.

ND13

Coming.......I thought he'd been here for years.

I could care less, I have nothing left to hide. I also feel that I shouldn't have to hide anything from anyone...as it's none of the **** business, unless I want it to be.

KrazyMofo24

I think it's a good idea the less uninsured drivers the better.

treitz3

Unconstitutional.

disneyjoe7

This is just a tax to the people, which effects to ones whom can't afford it in the first place.

ND13

KrazyMofo24 wrote: »

I think it's a good idea the less uninsured drivers the better.

As a person who has been struck by the uninsured, it is great, but the Jesse's pointing to the larger picture, imo.

To quote Roger Waters..."All in it's just another brick in the Wall"

ben62670

So when the monopolist InsureNet EF's up reporting no insurance we get screwed. I'll pass. Who is going to pay for this service? I am trying to remember who is from Chicago...

fossy

treitz3 wrote: »

Unconstitutional.

ditto but it's happenin---big bro is near

phipiper10

Wouldn't need a big brother if the world wasn't full of idiots. Sadly the world is full of idiots thus big brother is required. (No comment on big brothers effectiveness or competence. That is a separate debate)

SolidSqual

First Car Insurance . . . then Pet Licenses . . . then what else? Sooner or later one will hit a cord with you. It's an invasion plain and simple.

It's like the smoking ban, it sounds great for non-smokers. But then they go and regulate trans-fats, and now all the fast food in NYC tastes like ****.

sucks2beme

It's been that way for years in NY state. No insurance- they send
a trooper out to pick up your plates. Here in Texas over 30% are
uninsured. Drunks with no insurance keep crashing over and over.
They hit a car and bail. Same with "undocumented workers".
And any other number of ***holes. I carry insurance. They
can sue me in an accident, but good luck getting money from them.
I say go for it. For once, let uncle sam bother someone who deserves
it.

SolidSqual

sucks2beme wrote: »

It's been that way for years in NY state. No insurance- they send
a trooper out to pick up your plates. Here in Texas over 30% are
uninsured. Drunks with no insurance keep crashing over and over.
They hit a car and bail. Same with "undocumented workers".
And any other number of ***holes. I carry insurance. They
can sue me in an accident, but good luck getting money from them.
I say go for it. For once, let uncle sam bother someone who deserves
it.

It starts there but where does it end?

renowilliams

The problem with this new tracking system, is that it will likely only affect honest people who have been late getting their insurance paid. Typically here, people who are caught without insurance, are people who have been charged with DWI, or don't have a valid drivers licience for some reason and have nothing to lose in the first place. It may get some idiots off the street but they won't have money for the fines anyway. If you jail them for non payment of fines, it will cost the taxpayers more than the revenue created by the fines. That leaves us with another way for our governments to track us. IMO

BlueFox

There already is a national database that employers can check to see if you are a legal resident. I started a new job in November and was flagged as an illegal. Granted, I occasionaly engage in illegal activities, purely for medical reasons, but I was born in this country. It turns out they entered my SSN wrong, but it caused a bunch of grief until we figured out that was the issue.

This system is going to have even more mistakes made along that line.

The real problem coming will be when mandatory GPS is part of the car, and it will broadcast the car's location, along with the license plate number, and driver to the TSA. The technology exists, and it is just time before it is needed to save us from terrorists.

ohskigod

I loathe big brother as much as the next guy, but to be honest I might be ok with this. I am not a big fan of uninsured drivers.

bobman1235

F1Nut wrote:

In this country, all 50 states require motorists to have car insurance.

Untrue. I know at least NH does NOT require motorists to have insurance; I'm guessing we are not the only state, but we may be.

phipiper10 wrote: »

Wouldn't need a big brother if the world wasn't full of idiots. Sadly the world is full of idiots thus big brother is required. (No comment on big brothers effectiveness or competence. That is a separate debate)

I mean this with as much respect as possible, but if you really think this way, you are a far bigger idiot than the people you think you are being protected from. Everything about this post is moronic. Thinking we need a Big Brother figure to protect us from idiots is lunacy, and insisting that the efficacy of such a system is somehow separate from the insistence that it exist is an idea I can't even comprehend. A system that relies completely on a governing body to function is inherently broken, excatly because the governing body can never be effective while still permitting those governed to maintain a reasonable level of freedom.

ohskigod wrote:

I loathe big brother as much as the next guy, but to be honest I might be ok with this. I am not a big fan of uninsured drivers.

Not to sound too paranoid, but this is exactly why they try to pass these laws on "emotional" issues. Nearly everyone with insurance has had some sort of run-in wiht an uninsured motorist, so emotionally we all react to this news by supporting it emotionally despite disagreeing intellectually. Then the foot is in the door so to speak. Just like someone mentioned the smoking laws; all non-smokers supported these laws because emotionally they all got sick of coming home from a bar smelling like smoke. Now the door is open for trans-fats and soon sugars and whatever else is going to be banned.

shack

As someone who has had been crashed into twice, with lots of damage by uninsured motorists....I am a huge proponent of NO INSURANCE...NO DRIVING. The methodology of this company may be too invasive...but something has to be done. There has to be a way to get these people off the roads. The other problem is with the people who have no license and are on the roads. I don't want too much big brother...but it's time the rights of the law abiding citizens who do the right thing are protected and shielded against loss because of those with no insurance and/or no license. Maybe the penalties need to be stiffer...like loss of the vehicle.

ND13

There's a reason I carry an uninsured rider on my policy. It sucks, but it's not a very large part of the premium.

What gets me, is most state's minimums won't cover a friggin Yugo being totaled, much less a Benz, Bmw, Audi, Ferrari or just the typical full size pickup(avg msrp $37000).

hoosier21

treitz3 wrote: »

Unconstitutional.

help me out on this one

Kex

It would be nice if we didn't have to have insurance. Unfortunately, the liabilities are so huge, it is impossible to self insure in many cases. Not a day goes by in L.A. where traffic websites to not show another hit and run accident. The inability to control whether uninsured drivers are on our roads or not costs us all money every single day (through increased premiums).

Despite the despised "big brother" aspect, which is already everywhere in our lives in many respects, the alternative seems to be anarchy. Who avoids paying insurance in L.A.? Maybe illegal immigrants? I agree with everything which brings the cost of driving a vehicle legally down, and I don't believe in insurance and extended warranties in general as a principle, but then I would never dream of skimping on insurance, or driving without a license, since that is the law today. It appears that many don't only dream of it, they actually live exactly that, so we have hit and runs.

I just don't want to wake up one day and find that somebody has totalled our car, with my wife and/or kids in it, only to discover that the other driver didn't stop because he did not have insurance and/or immigration papers.

P.S. This is not racism, AFIK.

ben62670

Well most uninsured aren't registered either so the argument that this BS would stop uninsured drivers is BS for the most part.
Ben

Systems

You mean car insurance isn't already manditory in every state.What recourse do you have if uninsured driver causes an accident and totals your car or worse seriously injures you.If he doesn't have a dime to his name you would be SOL would you not?

steveinaz

Just another way for someone to capitalize (aka MAKE MONEY) by exploiting your right to privacy.

Commendable in theory, **** in practice.

Gotta love this "appealing to your fears" way of selling **** (service). Screw the many so a few can feel better; meanwhile we make a ton of money Tad... F that

****, just hang a goddam bell around our necks. That'll keep us in check.

No surprise that Kalicago is "on board" surely Colofornia will be next.

ben62670

GV#27 wrote: »

You mean car insurance isn't already manditory in every state.What recourse do you have if uninsured driver causes an accident and totals your car or worse seriously injures you.If he doesn't have a dime to his name you would be SOL would you not?

Uninsured driver insurance on your part. It is cheap, and worth it;)

apphd

bobman1235 wrote: »

..........

Not to sound too paranoid, but this is exactly why they try to pass these laws on "emotional" issues. Nearly everyone with insurance has had some sort of run-in wiht an uninsured motorist, so emotionally we all react to this news by supporting it emotionally despite disagreeing intellectually. Then the foot is in the door so to speak. Just like someone mentioned the smoking laws; all non-smokers supported these laws because emotionally they all got sick of coming home from a bar smelling like smoke. Now the door is open for trans-fats and soon sugars and whatever else is going to be banned.

How true!

"Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will push for unprecedented new regulatory powers on Tuesday to seize financial institutions whose failure would pose serious risks to the U.S. financial system, according to two senior administration officials."

This is not only companies that got bail out bucks, but any financial institute deemed a risk. Or not being run to their liking. With public sentiment/emotions so strong about the AIG's and Wall Street, makes it an easy mark. We are slowly but steadily loosing what made this country what it is(was??)

Face

There is something similar in place here already, except it's equipped on police cars.

ND13

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/compulsory/

Systems

ben62670 wrote: »

Uninsured driver insurance on your part. It is cheap, and worth it;)

Oh so you can buy insurance for those that don't want to.:eek:

steveinaz

...and your other option would be? As F'd up as it is--what else can you do. I'd much rather pay a little more for uninsured motorist, than have a friggin microchip shoved up my ****.

ben62670

GV#27 wrote: »

Oh so you can buy insurance for those that don't want to.:eek:

Not really. The fact is there are a lot of people out there with no licensees, registration, and insurance. The little bit extra I paid is s drop in the well. They will never make all the illegals illegal. That is a cold hard fact. I'll pay the couple extra bucks to cover me and my family.
Ben

Systems

Yeah I guess you have to do it, not doing so would be very risky I would think.