TomTom tech to set driver insurance premiums

Sinister....

I really don't like the sound of this. However full-time monitoring and possibly control of our driving is coming rapidly closer, whatever I think!

Of course anyone who uses TomTom's 'Live' service (that would be me) is probably furnishing Big Brother (no not C5) with all this data anyway.

By wittgenfrog on 8 Feb 2012

What SatNav?

I probably need a SatNav for around 0.5% of my journies, so it wouldn't help much - I wouldn't have it stuck to the dashboard during normal driving, as it is too much of a distraction. I'd probably mute it and shove it in the glove box, out of the way - which probably means it would never get a signal anyway.

Also, what is with people who already have a SatNav built into their cars? They won't use it at all...

By big_D on 8 Feb 2012

I entirely predicted this back in 2008 on my blog http://goo.gl/o7xeH It's actually fantastic news that couldn't come soon enough. If you think it's sinister then you can buy elsewhere.

By wikichris on 9 Feb 2012

Complex analysis

It's equally possible to drive fast and be a great driver, the issue of skill is a difficult one to judge and I would imagine this is going to be used as a fairly blunt instrument.

It is presumably an unstoppable tide, and could be considered an invasion of privacy if it's used to track people.

How long before the Government look for ways to get legal access to the data and use it for realtime tracking of "peoples under investigation."

All that said, I driver slower these days, I'd like a free sat nav, and I dont care if I'm tracked as I'm not doing anything illegal.

Brave New World indeed.

By Gindylow on 9 Feb 2012

ROFL

Just another ploy to jack up insurance premiums "for our own good". The programme will be written by those wonderful people who have sorted the NHS computers out.

By linux1943 on 9 Feb 2012

Agreed with Gindylow. Driving slowly does not equal driving safely and it's hard to know what else they will monitor other than where and when they drove.

Until this system can monitor: was the driver holding a phone while driving, how close were they to the car in front, have they (ever) looked in their mirrors, do they use their indicators and lights when they should - it will be just a blunt instrument.

By halsteadk on 9 Feb 2012

Too complex? Excuse to jack up prices?

Then it won't work as a business and you have nothing to worry about. I'm as sceptical about the powers that be trying to get one over us, there may be a case of that in this, but ultimately this is where road safety needs to go.

By wikichris on 9 Feb 2012

You're all being tracked through your mobile phone anyway

so one more tracking method won't hurt, especially a voluntary one.

And if driving a bit slower separates me from the nutjobs who all think they are safe, and saves me some money, then I'm interested

By davids4kes on 10 Feb 2012

Speed ≠ Danger

I suspect the speed reduction drive (see what I did there?) is more about CO2 than safety. Having attended a police speed seminar, I continue to base my speed on the conditions rather than signs. Copper at the seminar recommended Roadcraft which I bought and read, but told me nothing more than I had already deduced from experience.

By dubiou on 13 Feb 2012

^ @DUBIOU

Yes exactly. There used to be such a thing as Advanced Driving Courses and Defensive Driving, which could be taken to "lower risk" and avail of cheaper insurance.

Experience, State of Mind and Prevailing local conditions account for so much with driving and making the correct decision in a heartbeat.

It's always the unexpected that bites you in tha rear where road use and accidents are concerned.

By Gindylow on 13 Feb 2012