Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
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The trend in America now is for insurance companies to offer clients a reduction if they put a device in their car, and that device indicates that they are driving well. For clients’ privacy, the devices do not monitor where the clients drive, so they cannot tell whether you are driving 70 km/h in a 60 km/h zone, for example, but what they do tell is the average hours that you drive, when you do that driving and how often, for example, you brake sharply.
Essentially, if the data indicates that you are a good driver, and drive at times that are safer, then you are likely to see a 30% reduction in your insurance premiums. It is a great idea and it is something that appears to have been copied here, although without much fanfare and on a small scale but I think that one will find a situation in 5 or 10 years’ time that if you don’t agree to the installation of the device you will be penalised. Now the approach is not to penalize but simply reward those who do agree and subject to the data showing that they are driving well.
Insofar as driving at safe times is concerned, the data is quite clear, both here and in America, that driving for example after 11 pm on a weekend night is far more dangerous than before 11 pm and that is pretty much the case during the week as well. It makes it a bit tough for somebody who has a job that ends late at night, but the fact of the matter is when you are exposed to tired drivers, or drivers who have been drinking, you are certainly more at risk and the vast majority of accidents, and particularly serious accidents, happen late at night.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Wednesday 19-Dec-12
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Comments
cherise said:
on Wednesday 16-Jan-13 02:04 PM
I like the idea , ecspecially for those people who drive like idiots on the road because they know there is no camera in a certain zone and they can just pay their insurance if something happens. That should not be peoples mind set or even the case. Its a huge responsiblty owning and driving a vehicle not only for one's self but for others too.
I think this will be great, Hope it expands fast in SA with our bad drivers.
Lourien said:
on Monday 14-Jan-13 09:53 AM
This is a good idea, it will reduce accidents, save money and most importantly it will even save lives.
Lourien said:
on Monday 14-Jan-13 09:53 AM
This is a good idea, it will reduce accidents, save money and most importantly it will even save lives.
Sinead said:
on Tuesday 08-Jan-13 10:19 AM
Lol Liesl is so right... People love saving money as well. Especially on Insurance for their cars...
Sinead said:
on Tuesday 08-Jan-13 10:16 AM
It is a good idea and I too agree with Tanya... Maybe it will make people more responsible and in turn reduce accidents - which would be great. I hate hearing about the accidents that happen on the roads because I lost a friend due to a drunk driver.
Liesl said:
on Tuesday 08-Jan-13 08:40 AM
A device like this will definately come with pro's and cons. I think these type of devices should be a standard fitment on all our taxies. I'm sure the results will be startling
Robyn said:
on Monday 07-Jan-13 12:19 PM
This is a great idea. I've seen ads about this in SA too. A while back already. I agree with Tanya though, the advanced driving lessons would be awesome!
Tanith said:
on Monday 07-Jan-13 10:11 AM
People want to save money, so having a system like this is good, because, the driver will be saving more on insurance, and also should be driving more responsibly, therefore, hopefully, there would be less accidents on the roads.
Juliet said:
on Thursday 03-Jan-13 04:23 PM
It would also be tricky for someone who works night shifts. They should also do an "ITC" sort of report on traffic fine history of individual to indicate how many traffic fines etc they have had because that will easily prove speeding and other road offenses and thus indicating whether one is a good driver or not
Brumilde said:
on Thursday 03-Jan-13 03:05 PM
I know that on car track you can see where you drove over the speed limit and where you brake to hard as well.
Simone said:
on Thursday 03-Jan-13 02:54 PM
I am pretty sure that Discovery has something similar to this at the moment where they reward you with discounts at certain places when you are a good driver. They also install a "monitor" in your car to see at what speeds you drive, how fast you brake and to see how much you rev.
Tans said:
on Tuesday 25-Dec-12 09:10 PM
I wonder how long before such a "smart box" would get hacked by some wizz kid? Or how they will charge you if you sit in peak time traffic everyday, for 3 hours at a time. Would it be considered driving safely if it takes you 2 hours to get to your house that is 15km away? Or how long before the government would introduce a mileage tax based on the data collected by these boxes. Instead of this smart box device, I would much rather prefer it if we can get discount for advance driving courses... just think how much fun that would be!!
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
