I wouldnt mind having one of these installed just to see.
I bet they would think my brakes were busted as I drive 20 miles and hardly brake at all for about 16 miles in the middle. Occasionally I have to, and hard, but thats when numpties pull out of junctions in my path or leave braking to last minute themsleves to turn off the main road without indicating in advance. Otherwise I know the route so well I know exactly where to lift off from the NSR to be doing the correct speed to enter each part of 30/40 limit on my route. I bet most of the people who follow me figure my brake lights are broken
Personally the sooner things like this become mainstream the better, although thats when the criminal element will move in to start tampering with them I am sure.
I used to work in insurance and because it was a project role mainly I spent lots of time working across all the aspects (I was finance but the big projects would pull experts from all fields). One project was for a complete new policy system (quotes/claims, renewals etc) and we had a long workshop where one of the underwriters explained the calculations and the fact that most insurance in fact threw out most of the data and charged what they could get away with.
The two examples I remember :
1) 20-30 year old single males with high performance cars. Pay very high premiums relatively, but typically have low claims incidence, although expensive typically when they happen. Drivers tend to be car enthusiasts, and hence buy good tyres, attempt to understand about cars etc. They also typically have a fear of how a claim could mean they cannot afford renewal and drive within their limits. General public perception is high risk, vs actual of low risk so high premiums.
2) 30-40 year old married men with 2 kids. Typically premiums are low/very low relatively. They have relatively high claims experience, although relatively cheap repairs. They are typically semi into cars but often driving a car below what they would ideally drive so tend to be closer to the limits of the car technically. Money is often an issue and the car is seen as a money pit so they will buy cheap tyres etc. They are often distracted whilst driving by the wife and/or kids hence the relatively poor claims experience. Public perception is very low risk, actual reality is medium risk = very cheap premiums.
If underwriters could set the premiums without market forces you would see quite a different set of premiums to what you in reality see in the market place.
