[extropy-chat] A Flight Data Recorder for Your Car

[J Corbally]

>Message: 3
>Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2003 20:40:19 +0000
> >From: BillK <bill at wkidston.freeserve.co.uk>
>Subject: [extropy-chat] A Flight Data Recorder for Your Car
>To: extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
>Message-ID: <3FAC0333.3030605 at wkidston.freeserve.co.uk>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
>See: <http://wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/22654.html> and
><http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,39020336,39117677,00.htm>
>Quote:
>Imagine you're in your car driving to the grocery store. You're
>accelerating away from a stop sign when suddenly -- BANG! -- you're hit
>from behind by a speeding car that never even slowed down. Badly shaken,
>you stumble out. The police arrive on the scene just minutes after the
>crash. Plus, they already seem know that you stopped, and the other guy
>-- who's being arrested -- didn't.
><snip>
>This system is closer to reality than you may think. It's being built
>today in Ireland and is expected to spread across Europe over the next
>few years before taking root in the U.S. Insurance companies like the
>idea because computer-generated data about the crash will help prevent
>fraudulent claims and cut insurance costs. Emergency responders will be
>aided, too, thanks to faster, more detailed information about the exact
>location and scope of an accident.
>By mandating that drivers use the boxes, Ireland seems to have snuffed
>out privacy concerns that have slowed the voluntary adaptation of the
>technology elsewhere.
Not sure if I'll still be here if and when this becomes commonplace, but 
I'll keep the list up-to-date with anything I find out about it.

Given the high cost of insurance here, people might just go for it.  Wonder 
where they'll fit it on a motorcycle though.



James....