I saw the results of some tests done by the DMV and a GPS/GIS company who
both thought the idea of being able to book you for speeding, unauthorised
parking and entering city limits on an annual basis were pretty attractive.
There was some coverage in the press, probably hidden behind headlines about
Iraq at the time. The permutations are so attractive to a beurocrat that I'm
surprised its not already happening. Then again perhaps it is ...........

rant on

1 - Launch a European GPS constellation - in progress ( create jobs, an
industry, and spinoffs )
2 - Make everyone get a machine readable ID and licence ( watch out for the
national ID that was mentioned at the Labour party conference if its smart
card based I'm going to start getting really worried )
3 - Europe has how many cars ? must be over 50 million, Set up a tender for
that many loggers, cost will be £50 or less.

Logger connected to ignition/imobiliser is enabled by smart card licence and
will store 2 years at 1 second intervals ( easy with todays flash memory )
records G forces, speed and position, lights status and engine RPM. Last 30
seconds ( before airbag deployment) is recorded at 100 ms intervals.
Roadside CCTV will capture and decode numberplate and store time and place
( already happens ) and if at the end of the year when you go for road tax
renewal your logger wasn't on when when you got recorded then you better
have an explanation or your car gets crushed there and then!

Tell everyone by x date to retrofit logger, no logger no insurance no drive!

The local fitment centre will charge £199 ( or more ) to fit it or you rent
it for £30 / per annum from the government, part of your road tax! New cars
will have them as standard.

A bit of tap dancing around data protection and the demographic data
available is mind blowing! ( If we can go to war with Iraq then the DPA is a
cakewalk! )

A whole new industry is born with an annual turnover in the billions, a shed
load of jobs are created ( franchised fitting and service centres, logger
readers, batch analysis data centres, PC systems and software everywhere,
yada yada yada )

Insurance companies settle claims with a modified version of SeeYou! They
will be behind the system all the way. "You have a logger fitted sir, well
that's 25% off your premium". No logger well we'll sell you/rent you one

There are some advantages to all this though .....
If you are a slow and careful driver and a 'good citizen' you don't have a
worry in the world.
Your insurance comes down to next to nothing!
You can tell your car who is allowed to drive it and where and when its
allowed to go.
You can find out where your kids get their good dope from!

rant off

Ian

"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 04:22:34 +0000 (UTC), "tango4"
wrote:

"Martin Gregorie" wrote in message
.. .

Ever wondered how long it will be before you need a medical and an
annual check to drive?

A little while after all vehicles are fitted with data loggers and that
appears to be just around the corner here in the UK.


I missed that one!

Is this another part of Blunkett's Total Surveillance Strategy or
something entirely separate? It looks like a logical progression: CCTV
- mandatory identity cards - vehicle tracking.


--
martin@ : Martin Gregorie
gregorie : Harlow, UK
demon :
co : Zappa fan & glider pilot
uk :