The technology and design of automobiles nowadays has made huge forward advances over the years.
Vehicles are now focusing on fuel economy and their impact on the environment. However, it is technology that can be transferred in and out of the vehicle that could make a difference to how much you pay.
As we become more reliant on our vehicles for everyday life, many remain disillusioned as to the rising cost of their insurance premiums, and it is usually younger drivers who bear the brunt of the blame.
Due to the stigma attached to younger drivers, which usually associates them with offences such as joyriding and car theft, many are increasingly worried that their actions could have an effect on the world of car insurance.
With under-25s feeling the pinch when searching for car insurance, many feel they are being punished due to the actions of a small percentage that choose to commit auto offences.
However, could GPS technology hold the key to not only bring down crime levels amongst youngsters, but also help lower the cost of our insurance premiums?
With plans to introduce GPS technology into vehicles, and some insurance companies looking to branch out into ‘pay-as-you-drive’ policies, soon your driving habits could help contribute to the cost of your premium.
Indeed, several provinces in Canada have already put such a scheme into place, using GPS ankle bracelets in order to keep track of the worst offenders when it comes to automobile incidents.
Through the use of alert systems that are activated when the offender crosses into an ‘exclusion zone’, the authorities are able to keep tabs on where offenders are and where they should be.
By contacting them by use of mobile phones – also fitted with tracking devices – when they step outside their boundaries, the chances of intervention before they commit further crimes are increased.
And the technology appears to be having an effect – both on crime rates and car insurance premiums – in the provinces that the technology has been introduced to.
By: David Collins
Posts Tagged ‘Mobile Phones’
Car Insurance – GPS – The Way Forward?
November 11th, 2009Bluetooth GPS Vs CF GPS
November 3rd, 2009
For some people there is a debate over which to choose a Bluetooth GPS receiver or a compact flash GPS receiver. I have used both so I am writing from experience. There seem to be quite a few advantages a Bluetooth GPS receiver has over a cf GPS receiver.
The main advantage would be versatility, you can use a Bluetooth GPS receiver with a Bluetooth PDA as well as a compatible Bluetooth mobile phone whereas with a cf GPS receiver you are limited to only a compatible PDA as mobile phones usually don’t have a cf slot.
Another advantage is with regards to battery life, some Bluetooth GPS receivers have exceptional battery life lasting up to 26 hours, some mobile phones also have a long life, although a PDA won’t last anywhere near that, when using a cf GPS receiver the PDA battery is usually depleted faster as the it has to also power the cf receiver since the cf receiver can’t work on its own
The third consideration is convenience, one can find some new GPS receivers that are extremely small, the Holux GPSlim 236 comes to mind, because of their size and sensitivity you can stick them in your pocket and still get a very good signal so you don’t have anything sticking out of the PDA as is the case with a cf GPS receiver.
Another thing to consider is that a lot of newer PDAs seem to be loosing the compact flash interface, a good example is the Fujitsu Siemens Loox 720, it has being rumoured that the Loox 720 replacement won’t be including a cf interface. My conclusion would be it seems that manufacturers don’t consider the cf interface that important to include in newer PDAs, kind of like being phased out so it might not be a good idea to invest in cf devices
My final argument would be that when it comes to using a GPS receiver for driving, it is easier to position a Bluetooth GPS receiver in a convenient position where it can receive a better signal than with a cf GPS receiver because since the cf GPS receiver is fixed to the PDA, you are limited by how much you can move the PDA around and still have a good view of the PDA screen.
Based on all these facts I would consider a Bluetooth GPS receiver a better choice to a cf GPS receiver.
By: Francis Ononye
